Reading Wild Born
by Kathelf
Summary: The characters from SA will be reading the first Spirit Animals book. See how they react to it.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys,**

 **I got an idea. I read a couple fanfics on Percy Jackson and in those fanfics the characters where reading the books. So, I thought, the Spirit Animals characters will read the Spirit Animals books. I have to say one thing. I'm Dutch, so I read the first three books in Dutch. Meaning I don't have the books in english so it might be a bit different. I'll do my best best on translating them.**

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **Thanks, Kathelf.**


	2. Briggan (1)

**Hey guys, here is the first chapter. Hope you all like it. P.S. To those who have already read all the chapters that I ever published for this story, this is probably not going to be new. Why? I'll explain. I decided to delete all my chapters and replace them for this new chapter. Each chapter, from now on, will contain half of a real chapter from the book, or it will the the entire chapter. Otherwise this story was probably going to have a hundred chapters, or something like that. So I hope you could follow that, but I promise I will also update the second chapter of this story really soon so there will be something new.**

* * *

Knock, knock. "Come in," a voice said. Abeke opened the door and stepped inside. This was Olvan's study room and she had no idea why he had asked her to come. Maybe something was wrong.

"Ah, hello Abeke," Olvan said. "Hey," she said. "Is there something wrong?" "Not really." It was Lenori who answered her. When Abeke look around the room she could see that they weren't alone. Tarik, Lishay, Finn, Maya, Conor, Rollan and Meilin were there too. All of them sat in a circle on nice, fluffed chairs, around a stack of books, from whom she couldn't see the titles.

"Why don't you sit down and I'll explain everything," Olvan suggested. Abeke nodded, went over to the chair next to Conor, which was the only one empty, and sat down.

"So, let me start from the beginning," Olvan said. "Last night, I found a stack of books on my bed. On top of it laid a note which said that I had to read the books together with you." Abeke could see Conor's eyes widen with surprise and he asked. "So what do we do?" "Read it, of course," Rollan said. "I would agree to that," Tarik said and Lishay nodded.

"Okay," Lenori said. "Who starts reading?" "Why don't you start," Abeke suggested. Lenori nodded and picked the first book of the stack. "It's called Spirit Animals, Wild Born." Everybody looked up in surprise at the first two words, Spirit and Animals. That was familiar. "The first chapter is called... Briggan," Lenori said with a surprised undertone. Everybody looked at the big wolf who was lying at Conor's feet.

 **If he had a choice, Conor definitely didn't want to be in the room of Devin Trunswick on the most important day of his life, to help him get dressed for his Nectarce remony. If he was really truthful, he would never want to help Devin with anything out of free will.**

"Totally true," Conor muttered. Abeke looked at him and couldn't help but smile.

 **But Devin was the oldest son of Eric, Duke of Trunswick, and Conor was the third son of Fenray, sheepherder. Fenray had to pay a lot money to the earl, but couldn't, so Conor had to help get the money by working as Devin's servant, or as Devin preferred to call him, his 'maid'.**

When Abeke looked in Rollan's direction she could see him, nearly rolling of his chair in laughter. When Meilin elbowed him in the side, he abruptly stopped and stared at her, with an expression on his face that went from confusion to disbelief and then to anger. "Why did you do that," he asked her, annoyed.

"You shouldn't be laughing," Meilin said. " It isn't funny." "Oh, it is," Rollan said. "I mean, the word maid for a boy is really strange."

Meilin just shook her head, muttered something under her breath which could have been, 'boys', and then gestured to Lenori to continue reading.

 **It had started a year ago, and would last for at least another two years.**

"That long?" Abeke and Maya asked Conor in disbelief at the same time. Conor just shrugged and nodded.

 **Conor had to close all the stupid buttons at the back of Devin's suit jacket correctly,**

"Oh no." Conor groaned but gestured to Lenori to keep reading.

 **because otherwise the suit jacket would hang a centimetre wrong and he would have to hear about that for weeks.**

"You did it wrong," Rollan said. "No, I did not," Conor said. "Briggan was there to save me." "So you did do it wrong but Briggan came and you didn't have to hear about it for weeks." Rollan nodded as if he perfectly understood.

"No, I didn't do it wrong," Conor said, annoyed. Rollan looked as if he wanted to say something but shut his mouth when he saw Meilin's face. "Go on," he muttered to Lenori. Lenori laughed softly and continued.

 **The beautiful suit jacket was more for Devin to make a good impression on everyone than that it was practical. Conor was sure that in a big storm Devin would rather have an easier and simpler jacket than this one. One without stupid buttons. One which would maybe be able to keep him warm. "Are you finally done or what," Devin asked, clearly irritated. "I'm very sorry that it goes so slowly, sir," Conor answered.**

"Sir?" Rollan asked, one eyebrow up high. "Yeah, what," Conor said. "If I wouldn't have said that than I would be in big trouble."

Rollan answered. "But Briggan was there to save you in the end." "Yes. In the end," Conor told him. "I didn't know that yet, back then." Rollan just rolled his eyes and Meilin gestured to Lenori that she should start reading again quickly.

 **Your suit jacket has forty eight buttons. I just closed the 40st." "And how many days is it still going to take before you finish. I am nearly an elderly man. I'd say you just make up those numbers."**

Abeke smiled and she didn't have to look at Rollan to hear he was laughing hard. This time Meilin let him laugh, probably because there was a small smile on her face too. Just as everyone else. When Rollan was done laughing Lenori continued her reading.

 **Conor tried hard to stop himself from saying back something sharp. He had been counting sheep his entire life and was probably better at something like maths than Devin. But speaking against the son of the earl would get him into too big problems, it wasn't worth it. Sometimes it was as if Devin tried to irritate him on purpose. "I think I was pretty close."** **The door flew open and Dawson, Devin's younger brother, stormed inside the room. "Devin, aren't you done yet?" "It's not my fault. Conor is asleep."**

Rollan burst into laughter but stopped when Meilin elbowed him.

 **Conor looked up, but not long. The sooner those buttons were done, the sooner he would be able to start changing himself. "Has Conor fallen asleep," Dawson called out, giggling. "Why do you always say such fascinating things, brother."**

Rollan laughed again, and this time he didn't stop when Meilin elbpwe him. Meilin rolled her eyes towards Abeke and gestured for Lenori to continue.

 **Conor had to do his best not to grin too widely.**

Rollan started laughing again. "You didn't laugh?" He, half choked out, half said.

 **Dawson was usually talking a lot and usually Conor found him irritating, but he sometimes could be kind of funny. "I'm awake you know."** **"Is it finally done," Devin complained. "How many are there left?" Conor wanted to say twenty.**

Rollan chuckled, but he also glanced warily at Meilin.

 **"Five." "Do you think you will summon a spirit animal, Devin?" Dawson asked.** **It seems to me, yes, of course," Devin answered.**

Lenori and Olvan both shook their head and Olvan said. "He's too sure of himself."

 **Grandfather summoned a mangoest and father got a lynx." Today was the Nectar ceremony of Trunswick. In less than an hour all kids out of the village who turned eleven this month would try to summon a spirit animal. Conor knew that some families summoned an animal more times than others.**

"True," Olvan muttered.

 **But even with such a well known name as Devin you could never be sure you would really summon a spirit animal.**

"True," Olvan muttered again.

 **Today, only three children would drink the nectar, and the chance was big that nothing would happen to any of the three. At least it wasn't something to talk about so highly already.**

"True," Olvan muttered, again. "Olvan, please?" Lenori commenten. Olvan immediately shut his mouth, even blushing slightly. Everyone stared at them in surprise.

'Did Olvan just listen to someone?' Rollan slowly exclaimed, a fake shocked look on his face.

Olvan glared at Rollan, making him raise his hands. Lenori continued reading so they couldn't talk further on the subject.

 **"Which animal do you think you will get?" Dawson asked. "I have no idea," Devin said. "What do you think?" "A squirrel," Dawson prophesied.**

Everyone started laughing.

 **Devin tried to get his brother, who ran away, laughing. Dawson had clothes that were less formal, so he could move around easier than his older brother. However, Devin soon got him; he tackled Dawson and pushed him to the ground. "I'd rather think a bear," Devin said.**

"Or nothing at all," Rollan said. It was probably very funny because he and Conor started laughing. Meilin and Abeke rolled their eyes at the same time. When Lenori started reading again the boys quickly stopped laughing.

 **as he pushed his elbow with a rounding move into his brother's chest. "Or a type of cat, like father. Then I'd immediately let him take a bite out of you."**

Rollan chuckled.

 **Conor tried to stay patient. It was not him who was supposed to say something. "Maybe you will get nothing," Dawson said bravely.**

"So true," Abeke and Maya said at the same time, giggling.

 **"Then, I'll just become earl of Trunswick and also your master." "Not if you die earlier than father."**

"Oh, what if you will?" Rollan said, chuckling loudly. Conor chuckled too.

 **"I would watch your words, second son." "I'm glad I'm not you." Devin turned Dawson's nose until Dawson cried out, and then he stood and polished his pants neatly. "My nose at least isn't hurt or bruised."**

Rollan started laughing, again. Lenori decided to ignore it and kept reading.

 **"Conor is going to drink the Nectar too today," Dawson yowled. "Maybe he will summon a spirit animal." Conor wanted to be able to make himself invisible.**

"Really?" Rollan asked, one eyebrow up. "Yeah," Conor said. "It was ashaming back then." Lenori continued reading.

 **Did he hope he would summon a spirit animal? Yes, of course. Who wouldn't hope it. He couldn't help it. There was about no one in his family who had ever summoned a spirit animal. But it still was possible.**

"True," Olvan muttered. Lenori cast him a glance and he quickly shut his mouth.

 **"Of course," Devin grinned. "And the daughter of the smith will also get an animal. "You could never know," Dawson said as he sat up straight and rubbed his nose.**

Rollan grinned loudly but stopped when Meilin raised her hand. "Good," she said. "I'm not a dog," Rollan said, offended. Meilin shrugged and muttered. "Sometimes you do act like one." Lenori decided to start reading again, before Rollan could reply.

 **"Conor, which animal would you like?" Conor stared at the ground. He had to give an answer, since the son of a duke asked it. "I like dogs. I would like a dog."**

Lishay looked at Briggan for a moment and then said. "Well, that nearly happened."

"Yeah, well the only difference is that he is a little bigger. Just a little," Rollan said. Conor laughed.

 **"Wow, how original. The sheepherder dreams to summon a dog." Devin laughed at his words. "Dogs are nice," Dawson said.**

"Nice boy," Olvan muttered. "Not as irritating as his brother."

 **"And boring. How many dogs do you have, Conor?" Devin asked. "My family, you mean?**

"No, he means your sheep, duh," Rollan muttered sarcastically. Abeke grinned a little, just as Conor.

 **Ten, the last time I counted them." "And when did you see your family for the last time?" Dawson asked.**

"Oh, well, not so nice," Olvan muttered again. Conor laughed an said. "Dawson is nice. Sometimes, he just has trouble knowing when to say or ask something and when not to."

 **Conor tried not to make his voice shake. "More than half a year ago."**

"Wow, that's pretty long," Abeke said, smiling at Conor. He just shrugged, but smiled back.

 **"And will they come today?" "I think they will try. It accords to wether or not they can leave." He didn't want to act as if it mattered a lot to him. "Well, very important for you," Devin said, with a tone that said he was ultimately bored.**

Abeke frowned angrily.

 **"How many buttons are there left?" "Three." Devin turned around. "I'm done with this. It is going to take forever. What if we are too late?"**

'What if you are?' Rollan asked, jokingly. 'Will you get into BIG trouble for that too?'

Meilin sighed deeply and Conor laughed. 'What do you think?' 'Yes.'

'No,' Meilin said. 'Honestly, are you a little kid?' 'Nope.' 'Then don't act like one.'

 **In the centre of the town was an incredible amount of people. It didn't happen every day that the son of an earl would try to summon a spirit animal. Everybody had come to the event: the normal people but also the real rich ones, Young to old. Musicians made music, soldiers paraded and someone was selling sugared nuts. There also was a stage for the earl and his family. It looked like there was a party. A party for everyone but him.**

Abeke and Maya looked at him sympathetically.

 **It was a cold, clear day. The hills, in which Conor would rather be now, lay in the background behind blue roofs and all the other things Trunswick housed.**

Abeke, Maya, Finn and Conor all smiled softly.

 **Conor had seen a few Nectarceremonies. He had never witnessed someone summoning a spirit animal, but he knew that the last eleven years it had happened more than once. The ceremonies he had witnessed hadn't been so spectacular. There where less people. And there definitely weren't as many animals as now.**

"Of course not," Meilin muttered sarcastically. "He is just the son of the earl of Trunswick. I had more."

Rollan smirked. "She had more. Wow. What a surprise. Your father was one of the best generals Erdas has ever known. His father is just another earl."

Conor laughed. "I wouldn't say that straight in his face." "No, doesn't really sound like a good idea." Rollan agreed.

 **Many people believed that the change of summoning a spirit animal increased when there where lots of animals.**

"Is that really true?" Conor asked Olvan.

"It doesn't matter,' Olvan told him.

Conor nodded.

 **If that was really true, than Devin might be lucky. There weren't just animals you would have as a pet. There were birds with beautiful feathers, deers and moose' behind a fence, a few locked up cat-likes, three badgers in a cage and a black bear with an iron collar. There also was an animal which Conor only knew out of stories: a enormous camel with two woollen bumps. When Conor walked to the middle of the area, he wasn't really sure what to do.**

"When are you?" Rollan grinned. The commend rewarded him with an elbow in the side by Meilin.

 **Should he cross his arms or should he just try to walk the way he normally would. Wasn't that too... normal?**

"No. I'd recommend the walking normally," Olvan said. Rollan nodded. "Crossing your arms is a real bad idea."

"Thanks for the advice." Conor told them. "It's just a bit to late."

"You did fine. Belief me," Tarik said. Conor shot him a thankful glance. Lenori continued her reading.

 **While he scanned the enormous crowd, he tried to calm himself by saying that all the eyes would be on Devin, not on him. Then Conor saw his mother wave. His older brothers where next to her, just like his father. They had even taken Soldier, Conor's favourite dog.**

"Sweet," Abeke replied. Conor smiled. "My parents are sweet, belief me."

Rollan shot an amused smile to Tarik. Tarik raised his eyebrows, acting as if he didn't understand what was going on. Rollan just rolled his eyes and Tarik grinned, as Lenori continued reading.

 **They were all there. Seeing his family made part of the stress leave, but it was replaced by want to be home - to have fields to walk through, rivers to swim through, forests to wander through. At home he had done fair work, in the fresh air: cut wood, shave sheep, feed the dogs. Their house was small yet nice, totally different then the enormous castle of the earl.**

"Sounds nice," Abeke said. Maya nodded. "It was," Conor replied, a dreamy look in his eyes.

 **Conor waved at his mother. The next earl of Trunswick was the first to walk to the bench in the middle of the area. Abby, the daughter of the smith, was already waiting there, silently. She had clearly put on her best clothes, but it was still laughingly simple compared to even the most simple dress of the mother or sister of Devin. Conor knew that, compared to Devin, he looked really simple too. Before the bench where two Greencloaks. Conor knew the woman, Isilla, her shining grey hair was tied up above her face. Her spirit animal, Frida, was on her shoulder. Isilla had lead the Nectarceremonies for years. She had given the nectar to his two brothers too.**

Conor sighed softly. Isilla had died in the war. Sometimes he thought about it. It wasn't really that he knew her but she had been the Greencloak of Trunswick for really long.

 **The other Greencloak was a strange man, long and muscular, with broad shoulders and a face just as leather wore as his cloak.**

Lishay, Rollan and Conor all smiled.

 **His skin was darker than that of the people around him, like he was from the northeast of Nilo or the southwest of Zhong;**

"Wrong," Tarik said with a small smile. "I know, I know," Conor said. "It's Amaya, not Nilo or Zhong. Whatever." Tarik and Rollan shot him an amused glance at the same time.

Abeke and Meilin then burst out in laughter. Meilin shook her head, took a deep breath and stopped laughing. Abeke did the same, though she didn't shake her head. Meilin then gestured for Lenori to continue reading.

 **an uncommon sight here, in the middle of Eura. His animal wasn't visible, but Conor's eye fell on the edge of a tattoo, which swirlingly went under the sleeve of the man. A wave of excitement rushed through him. It meant that the spirit animal of the stranger was momentary sleeping on his arm.**

"When isn't he?" Rollan said jokingly. Tarik raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a face which said something like, what are you suggesting. Rollan raised his arms, an innocent look spreading across his face.

 **Abby, who had been sitting on the bench, stood and bowed to Devin. He sat down and gestured to Conor that he could do the same. Conor and Abby sat down.**

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 **Soooo, what do you think? Chapter one is done. At times the script is different from the book, I know, that's because I only have this book in Dutch and I'm translating it. Well please review.**


	3. Briggan (2)

**Hey guys. So, this chapter took me a bit longer than I expected, I thought I'd be done after a day or two but that's not reality. Well, here it is anyways and I hope you enjoy. P.S. This chapter does have some new stuff in it.**

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 **Isilla raised her hands to tell the people to be quiet. The unknown man took a step backwards so she got all the attention. Conor wondered why the man was here. It probably had something to do with Devin his high status, just like all the other special things. Isilla started talking. "Hear all, people of Trunswick! Today we are here to do one of the most important things in the whole of Erdas, at the sight of human and animal. A bond between those two makes both stronger, and today we will find out if such a special bond will start its existence by one of these three children: sir Devin Trunswick, Abby, daughter of Grall, and Conor, son of Fenray." When Devin's name was said, a load applause started, which stopped when the other names where called. Conor tried to simply sit. He just had to wait until it was all over. Devin would get to drink the nectar first, the special place.**

'First?' Meilin asked him.

Conor nodded. 'In Trunswick it is said that the person who first drinks the nectar has the biggest chance of summoning a spirit animal.'

'Really,' Meilin said. 'In Zhong it is the other way around. The later you drink the nectar, the bigger the chance you will summon a spirit animal.'

'Maybe that's true,' Conor said. 'I was the last one to drink the nectar.'

'And you summoned Briggan while Devin didn't summon anything,' Abeke said.

Conor nodded.

'Let's continue,' Lenori said.

 **It was said that the person who drank the Nectar first would have the biggest change of summoning a spirit animal. Isilla** **was holding a bottle, filled with Nectar. She showed it to the people and said. 'Devin Trunswick, come forward.' Everybody cheered as Devin walked towards Isilla, but they became quiet when she placed a finger on her lips. Devin bowed down in front of Isilla, a rare sight. Eurean royals only bowed for higher Eurean royals. The Greencloaks didn't bow for anyone. 'Recieve the Nectar of Ninani.' Conor watched with great interest as Devin drank the Nectar. Maybe this time it would be the first time he would get to see how a spirit animal would be summoned. It couldn't be possible that the Nectar didn't work, since all those animals where there.**

'Well, it didn't work,' Abeke said grinning.

The other three nodded with twinkling eyes.

 **Conor wondered how the animal would look. Isilla took a step back and a deep silence was thrown over the entire area as Devin looked at the sky with closed eyes. A moment went on. Somebody coughed. Nothing special happened. Devin looked around, surprised.**

Everybody laughed at this.

 **Conor had heard that a spirit animal would come straight after you drank the Nectar, and otherwise you hadn't summoned anything. Devin stood and looked around. Nothing seemed to be coming. The crown started murmuring.**

Rollan laughed again.

Meilin raised an eyebrow. 'What would be so funny about that?' She said.

Rollan grinned. 'Well, think of it. A sentence with four or five words all the time. It's just so dry. Nearly sarcastic.'

Conor grinned. 'I haven't seen it that way yet. He's got a point.'

Meilin rolled her eyes. 'Boys,' she murmured, rolling her eyes.

Lenori continued reading.

 **Isilla looked at the stage with hesitation and Conor followed her gaze. The earl was sitting on his throne, his lynx next to him, his expression hard. Even though he had a spirit animal he didn't wear his green cloak.**

'He never does,' Conor muttered.

 **Isilla looked at the unknown Greencloak behind her, who gave her a curd nod. 'Thank you Devin,' she said. 'Abby, daughter of Grall, come forward.'**

'And he didn't summon anything,' Rollan said. 'Poor Devin.'

Some people chuckled at his sarcastic dry tone.

 **Devin looked like he would be sick really soon.**

Rollan and Conor laughed.

 **He stared in front of him, but the way he stood showed how ashamed he was. He swiftly looked at his father and immediately looked towards the ground. When he looked up again his expression was full of anger: he was no longer ashamed but angry.**

'I love this part,' Rollan stated.

Conor grinned.

 **Abby drank the nectar, and just as he had expected, nothing happened. 'Conor, son of Fenray, come forward.'**

Everybody looked at Conor, who was turning slightly red because of it.

Lenori quickly read again, which earned her a thankful look from Conor.

 **Now that Devin hadn't summoned an animal, the change that something happened with him was really small, Conor thought.**

'But, of course you do, unfortunately,' Rollan said.

Meilin elbowed him but Conor laughed. 'You wouldn't know what to do without me,' he said.

Rollan nodded. 'Yeah. You got a point.'

Everybody smiled and Lenori continued reading.

 **But you never knew.**

'You already said that,' Rollan said.

'Who cares,' Meilin said. 'I mean, you say too much. If you would just remain quiet most of the time, than we could already be done with the book.'

'Soorryy,' Rollan said with a sigh.

Meilin rolled her eyes and murmured. 'Like it's ever going to happen that he's going to stop.'

Abeke laughed softly at this and Lenori started reading again.

 **There had never been so many eyes on him.**

'Ooh, sheepboy is nervous,' Rollan said.

'See,' Meilin said. 'You just failed.'

 **Conor got up and tried not to think about all the people by simply looking only at Isilla.**

'I bet it's going to fail,' Rollan said.

'Who cares,' Meilin said.

 **It didn't really work.**

'See. I was right,' Rollan shouted triumphantly.

Meilin rolled her eyes. 'You don't need to shout, Rollan, seriously.'

 **It was however exciting to find out how the nectar tasted. His oldest brother Wallace had compared it to sour goat milk,**

'Seriously?' Rollan said.

Conor nodded.

Meilin looked like she would burst out of anger. 'Rollan, seriously. We nearly where done with two sentences. You ruin everything. Do we have to duck tape your mouth?'

'No, thanks a lot,' Rollan replied.

Everybody laughed at Meilin's commend.

'You know, that actually is not such a bad idea,' Lishay said.

'See,' Meilin said to Rollan. 'She actually agrees with it.'

Lenori continued reading before Rollan could continue.

 **but Wallace had always liked to tease him.**

'I like your oldest brother,' Rollan murmured.

 **His other brother, Garrin, had said that it tasted like apple cider. Conor licked his lips. However it tasted, by tasting the Nectar there would officially be an end to his childhood. Conor kneeled before Isilla. She was looking at him with a strange smile and there was interest in her eyes. Had she looked the same way to the others?**

'Probably not. People only look strange to you,' Rollan said.

Meilin rolled her eyes and murmured. 'Like they don't do that to you.'

 **Conor drank the Nectar. It was a bit thick, and very sweet, like fruit dipped in honey. It became solid in his mouth. It was delicious. He had never tasted something so good. Before he could take another sip Isilla pulled de bottle away from him. He would never taste more then one sip.**

'Poor you. No one does.' Rollan said.

Meilin sighed deeply and gestured towards Lenori that she should continue reading.

 **Conor stood up to walk back to the bench when all of a sudden a strange, glowing feeling past through his chest.**

'Dramatic,' Rollan commented

 **The ground started shaking. The birds screeched. De cats whined. The bear growled. The moose bellowed. The camel snorted and stomped.**

'And there we have it again. Just a couple sentences after each other, made up of only three words. So dry, sarcastic and dramatic,' Rollan said.

'As if you aren't dramatic,' Meilin murmured.

Some people grinned.

 **The ground started shaking. The air turned darker, like there al of a sudden was a cloud before the sun. A bright flash ran through the air, but closer then Conor had ever seen, even closer than that time when he had climbed up a hill and the lightning flashed into a tree.** **The people gasped and started murmuring. Conor was blinded by the flash and blinked desperately to try and see something again. Warm feelings spread through his chest towards his arms and legs. It was strange, but he felt unusually happy.**

'This is strange,' Rollan said.

'Like you,' Meilin replied.

'You already said that,' Rollan said.

'You don't seem to get it so I thought it might be smart to explain it to you,' Meilin said with a smile.

He made a face towards her and Lenori continued reading before they could quarrel any longer.

 **And then he saw the wolf.**

'Drama,' Rollan commented again.

 **Like all sheepherders in the area, Conor had experience with wolfs. Wolf packs had taken a lot of their sheep and had bitten three of his favourite dogs, to death. One of the most important reasons that his father had debts with the earl was because he had lost sheep from wolf attacks.**

'Bad wolfs,' Rollan said.

Meilin rolled her eyes.

'Don't your eyes get tired, since about the only thing you have been doing is rolling your eyes?' Rollan asked.

Meilin shook her head. 'It's a gift,' she replied.

He rolled his eyes back at her and Abeke and Conor chuckled.

 **And of course, there was that one night that Conor and his brothers had to 'compete' against a brutal pack whom had tried to steal sheep from the paddock up the mountain slope.** **And now, the biggest wolf he had ever seen was standing in front of him, his head held high. It was a beautiful animal, strongly build, well fed and with the most beautiful, grey-white pelt Conor had ever seen. He had big paws, sharp claws, pointed teeth and shining, silver blue eyes.**

'That is one way to look at him,' Rollan murmured with a smirk on his face.

Meilin elbowed him in the side. 'Like we want to know how you look at him.'

Rollan stuck his tongue at her, at which she rolled her eyes.

 **Blue eyes?**

'No. Pink eyes.' Rollan said. 'You really where pretty dumb there, you know Conor.'

Conor grinned. 'Well, if you say so. I at least can't wait to hear yours.'

Rollan gulped and seemed not too satisfied with that answer.

 **In the entire history of Erdas there was only one wolf with such deep blue eyes. Conor looked at the Eurean flag which hung at the stage of the earl. Briggan the wolf, the protector of Eura, was standing on the flag, with those bright, piercing eyes.**

'You make everything sound exaggerating,' Rollan said.

'I was shocked,' Conor replied.

'Still,' Rollan said.

 **The wolf walked forward slowly and stood before Conor. There, he sat down, like a well trained dog. His head came above Conor's middle and he fought against the urge to jump back. Usually he would flee for such an animal, throw with stones or get a strong branch to protect himself. But this wasn't just a surprise meeting in nature. His whole body was shaking and hundreds of people where watching him. This wolf had come out of nowhere.**

'Seriously,' Rollan muttered sarcastically.

 **The wolf looked up to him with a confident expression. The animal was big and wild, but it seemed perfectly capable of controlling itself. Conor found it rather impressive that such a predator treated him with so much respect. Behind these blue eyes seemed to hide more respect than seemed possible for an animal.**

'Hello, he is a great beast and a spirit animal,' Rollan said.

'Rollan. We. Get. It.' Meilin said. 'Could you stop.'

'Nope,' Rollan said, smirking a bit, but when he saw Meilin's expression he rolled his eyes and said. 'Fine.'

 **The wolf seemed to be waiting for something. Conor held out his hand and the warm, pink tongue rasped his hand. It felt like it was electric, and his body stopped shaking. For a moment Conor felt, braver, smarter and more observant than he had ever felt. He smelled the wolf with strengthened senses and, because of some strange reason, he knew it was a male, and that he saw Conor as his equal. Then, the strange feeling was gone.** **If he hadn't seen Devin' face, Conor might have never truly understood what he had done. Never had much anger and blind hatred been fired towards him. He had summoned a spirit animal. And not just a spirit animal.**

'And now he realises, finally. Took him long enough,' Rollan said.

Everybody ignored him and Lenori just continued to read.

 **A wolf. Wolfs where never summoned.**

'And he doesn't get it,' Rollan muttered.

 **Briggan the wolf had been one of the Great Beasts, and spirit animals never where the same kind as a Great Beast. Everybody knew that. It just never happened.**

'But it did,' Rollan said.

 **But it had happened. It was clear and unexplainable. A full-grown wolf pushed his muzzle against Conor's hand. The earl leaned forward with a thoughtful expression. Devin boiled with anger, and Dawson grinned, surprised though.**

'Wow, I like that Dawson,' Rollan said.

'He's nice,' Conor replied. 'Not in any way like his brother. Though, like I already said, he does talk a lot. Sometimes it's kind of tiring.'

 **The strange man in the green cloak stepped forward, towards Conor. 'I'm Tarik,' he said softly. 'I have traveled far to find you. If you stay with me nothing will hurt you. I don't want to force you to make our vow if you're not ready yet, but you have to listen to me. There's a lot depends on you now.' Conor nodded without saying anything. It was all too much right now. The strange Greencloak raised Conor's hand high in the air and said. 'People of Trunswick! The news of today will go through Erdas. Briggan has come back in times that he is needed.'**

'That's the first chapter,' Lenori said. 'Who wants to read next?'

'I'd like to,' Olvan said.

Lenori handed him the book and he started reading.

* * *

 **Well, that was Conor and Briggan, next up is Abeke and Uraza.**


	4. Uraza (1)

**Hey guys. First of all, I'm soooooooooooooooo sorry for the long wait. Extremely sorry. Well, here is the story anyway and I really hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Abeke crept forwards through the tall grass, in a slow, steady pace. She placed her feet carefully, like her father had learned her, and quietly came closer. If she moved or made a sound which would scare away her prey, then she had a problem. There wasn't time to find another animal. The antelope bowed her head to nibble on some grass. The animal was young, but Abeke knew that it was a lot quicker than her. If the antelope fled, she would have to go home empty handed. Abeke stopped and laid an arrow on the tendon of her bow. She pulled it backwards and the bow creaked. The antelope's head flew up. The arrow hit its goal and went straight through the heart and lungs of the animal via the side of the body. The antelope wavered a bit, and collapsed.**

'And that was the end of the antelope. End of story,' Rollan said, jokingly. Everybody grinned.

'I highly doubt it Rollan,' Abeke recommended.

 **This antelope was extremely important for Abeke's village. Because of the drought, there was little food and because it seemed like it probably wasn't going to rain anytime soon, every bit of food was welcome. Abeke kneeled next to the dead animal and softly said. 'I'm sorry I had to kill you.**

'That doesn't help the antelope,' Rollan said. 'It's a sign of respect,' Meilin said. 'Something which you don't really seem to get at times,' she added.

 **Our village needs food. I shot you from up close through your heart to not make you suffer. Please forgive me.'**

'It still doesn't help the antelope,' Rollan muttered.

 **Abeke looked up towards the blue sky. The sun was higher than she thought hwo long had she followed the antelope. Luckily, she had caught a young animal, light enough to carry. Abeke threw the antelope over her shoulder and went home.** **The sun burned mercilessly above the plains. Everything was dry, bushes weakly begged for water. A few trees stood far away from her, broad and with branches, different and wide, in a daze due to the air which vibrated from the heat.**

'Can air vibrate?' Rollan questioned. 'Yes,' was Abeke's reply. 'In such heat circumstances it can.'

 **Abeke made sure to keep her eyes and ears open. Humans where not the favourite food of big cats, but with such small amount of food it was dangerous, everywhere outside the enclosure. And big cats weren't the only animals which made Nilo's savanna unsafe.**

'Like?' Rollan asked. 'Nothing important. I think we should continue,' Meilin said. In a quieter voice she added. 'We should definitely ducktape his mouth.'

 **The longer Abeke trekked over the savanna, the heavier the antelope seemed to become. But she was bigger than most of the other kids her age and had always been strong. Above all she couldn't wait to show her prey to her father. She tried to forget the burning sun.**

'I bet your father didn't like it,' Rollan said. 'Nope,' Abeke murmured. 'Not at all.'

 **In her village it where usually the men who hunted. Women scarcely went hunting on their own. What a surprise would this antelope be. The perfect way to celebrate her eleventh nameday.**

'Birthday,' Rollan corrected Olvan. 'Nameday, that's what it says,' Olvan said. 'But'

'What's the importance in it? We all get it,' Meilin said. Olvan continued reading.

 **Her sister Soama was prettier than her.**

'Oh no, here we go,' Abeke murmured. 'What's wrong?' Lishay asked. 'Well, you know, the usual. We can skip this part right. It just says that Soama is better than me, all the time.'

'We will continue,' Olvan said. Abeke groaned.

 **Soama could sing better. She could weave better. Maybe she could even work better with her hands. But she had never shot an animal.**

'And you have,' Conor said. She shrugged but nodded. 'Well, I'd rather have a girl who can shoot an antelope than a girl who can weave really well,' Conor recommended.

Abeke blushed a bit and Rollan and Meilin grinned. Conor, when he

 **A bit more than a year ago, Soama had given the village a woven cloth, with a picture of herons flying over a lake. Many people had said that they had never seen such a beautiful thing from such a young artist. But could they eat the cloth?**

'No,' Rollan said.

 **Would the woven lake quench their thirst?**

'Nope,' Rollan said it again.

 **Would the fake herons fill their bellies?**

'No.' Rollan again.

 **Abeke couldn't help smiling. As far as she knew, no child had ever given a piece of prey as a namedaygift. Her village didn't need another decorated jar. There wasn't even water to put in it.** **Her gift was something they could use. To not be caught by the guards, Abeke took the secret route to her village. She went to in the same place as she went out: through the broken boards in the wall next to the ravine.**

'Next to a ravine?' Rollan said. 'Yeah, why not?' Abeke asked.

'Isn't that extremely dangerous? What if you fall?' 'If you're careful and patient than you won't fall.' Abeke explained, emphasising patient. Rollan made a face.

 **She had to climb a difficult part, more difficult due to the piece of prey that hung from her shoulder, but she managed to.**

'At least you didn't crash,' Rollan murmured. 'Which is quite logical,' Meilin recommended.

 **She was late. She didn't acknowledge her neighbors, who cast glares at her, as she hurried home. Like most other houses in her village, their hut was round, with stone walls and a conical roof made of reed. When she stormed inside she was awaited by Soama, who looked beautiful in her orange dress and shawl stitched with beads. Abeke definitely wasn't ugly, but qua beauty, she had lost it from her sister long ago. And she simply preferred practical clothes, and braids which you could put in a pony tail. 'Abeke!' Soama said. 'Where were you? Does father know you're back?**

'Nope,' Rollan commended. 'Oh, come on,' Meilin called out. 'We where so far and you had to utterly spoil it.'

'Sorry,' Rollan murmured, rolling his eyes to Conor, who grinned.

 **'I was hunting,' Abeke explained proudly** **with the antelope still on her shoulder.** **On my own.' 'Have you been outside the village?'**

'Were else. Someone would have seriously noticed her if she stayed inside the village, plus, no antelope is so stupid that he walks inside a village stocked with people, who would definitely kill him to eat him,' Rollan recommended.

'How can someone "seriously notice" someone?' Meilin asked.

'Someone just seriously can,' Rollan said.

'Sure,' Meilin muttered, not bothering further.

 **'Have you been on the other side of the enclosure?'**

'Yep,' Abeke muttered. 'Hey, it can't be worse than with me. No one is commanding you around,' Conor said, giving her a small, kind smile. Abeke just shrugged, but smiled back.

 **'Were am I otherwise supposed to get an antelope from?' Soama placed a brown hand over her eyes. 'Abeke, why are you always so strange? All of a sudden you disappear. Father was extremely worried. You will be late for your bonding ritual.'**

'Is she always so worried about time?' Conor asked Abeke. She nodded. Conor raised his eyebrows slightly. 'Doesn't that get tiring?' He wondered out loud. 'Seems not,' Abeke said. They both laughed and Olvan continued reading.

 **'It will be fine,' Abeke said calmingly. 'I will hurry. I'm not so precise as you. When they see my beautiful prey, no one will be disappointed.'**

'They where?' Conor questioned. Abeke nodded. 'Of course.'

 **The door behind Abeke opened.**

'Who will it be?' Rollan asked. 'Her father,' Meilin answered, in a dry tone. Both of them looked at Abeke, who nodded.

 **She turned around and looked up at her her father, a tall, lean, strong man with a bald head. His eyes weren't friendly.**

'Oh no,' Abeke groaned.

 **'Abeke! Chinwe already said that you where back. I was planing to sent a group pf people to find you.' 'I wanted to give a great namedaygift,' Abeke explained. 'I shot this antelope.' Her father breathed heavily and closed his eyes. He had to be careful not to raise his voice. 'Abeke. This is a very important day. You're late. You're covered in dust and blood. The entire village is worried about you, since you disappeared. Where is your logical sense? Your dignity?'**

'And he's done,' Rollan said. Abeke shook her head. 'He's not done,' Rollan commented, dryly.

 **Abeke felt like she was crumbling on the inside; her pride went away and her good mood was immediately gone. For a second she was unable to say a thing. Tears came. 'But... I meant well. You know how good I can hunt. It was a surprise.'**

'Not a great one in the end,' Rollan recommended. Abeke grinned at him, half heartedly. 'Not really.'

 **Her father shook his head. 'It was egotistical. Stubborn. You can't give the antelope as a namedaygift. The animal is the proof of your bad behaviour. What won't that say about you? About us? What must other kids learn from it? Not a lot of good stuff. You will simply give the jar you made.'**

'Is he done this time?' Rollan asked. 'No,' Olvan replied, eyes screening through the book. 'Oh great,' Rollan murmured quietly.

Meilin elbowed him, which shot him upwards. 'What was that for?' Meilin gestured towards Abeke. Rollan sighed. 'Sorry,' he muttered.

Meilin rolled her eyes towards Abeke, but the other girl grinned at Rollan.

 **'But it's ugly!' Abeke said desperately. 'A monkey would make a better one. I just can't do that.' 'You simply don't try hard enough,' her father said. 'That you come home safely with a piece of prey shows you can hunt, but also that you're reckless. We will talk about your punishment later.**

'Of course that isn't necessary, since Uraza is there to save you,' Rollan said.

 **Get ready. I shall tell the others that your bonding ritual will continue. Saoma will help you. If you would act more like her sometimes, than you won't be such a disgrace.'**

'Ow, harsh,' Maya muttered, smiling sympathetically towards Abeke, who smiled back and shrugged.

 **Abeke felt deeply unhappy. 'Yes father.' When her father was gone, Abeke laid the antelope down. Now that she studied herself more carefully, she saw that her father was right: she was covered in dust and blood. She stared at her beautiful prey, unhappy. Her exultant feeling had been turned into shame. Abeke tried to stop her tears. To day was supposed to be her day. Her own day. Everything was always about Soama, Soama was so thoughtful, so pretty, so talented...**

'Why are you stopping?' Rollan asked. 'Because there are three dots. And that means you have to wait,' Meilin said. 'How do you know that?' Rollan asked her. 'That's actually pretty logical,' she replied. 'To me it isn't,' Rollan muttered. 'If you read,' Meilin finisned her former sentence. 'Reading is boring,' Rollan said. 'No it isn't.' 'Yes it is.' 'Isn't.' 'Is.' 'Isn't.' 'Is. And now shut up,' Meilin said. Olvan quickly started reading before they could start again.

 **Today, Abeke would drink the Nectar of Ninani. Would she summon a Spirit Animal?**

'Yep,' Conor murmured.

 **Probably not. But today she would be a woman. A true habitant of the village. And she wanted to give a special gift. She wished her mother was here. Her mother had understood her better than anyone else. But her mother had been weak, and had died.**

Abeke took a deep, quiet breath and managed to keep a neutral expression on her face. Conor carefully grabbed her hand. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

 **Abeke no longer managed to hold herself and started to cry. 'We don't have time for that now,' Soama said strictly. 'You're already late and you already don't look good at all.' Abeke strangled her sadness with a deep, quiet breath. She didn't want her sister to see her crying, right? 'What do I have to do?' Soama walked towards her and swept the tears off her cheek. 'Hm, maybe you should cry. We don't have enough water to wash you.' '** **I don't have to cry anymore.' 'Than we will fix you.'**

'Fix you? You're not a toy or something,' Conor said. Abeke sighed softly and smiled a small smile at Conor.

 **Abeke let Soama do whatever was necessary. She didn't bother the tough comb or the cloth which was barely wet. She didn't commend her clothes and jewellery.**

'What's wrong with clothes and jewellery?' Meilin asked. 'It takes to long to put it all on,' Abeke said. 'But it fits you really well,' Rollan said. 'Okay Romeo, you done?' Tarik asked. Rollan blushed bright red, just like Meilin, but there was no time to go on about it for Olvan continued reading.

 **She let Soama do everything and tried not to look at the antelope.**

'I bet she's going to fail, just like Conor. And if she does then they really fit,' Rollan commended.

 **When Abeke came out the hut, the entire village waited for her. It was her day after all. Everybody stood, from the door, in two rows in front of each other. Oh, how Abeke had longed for this moment. It was always fun to do it for others. Her father send her a harsh glare, like most other man. Some women looked at her with a bit of disgust, others with pity. A few younger people she knew chuckled softly.**

Conor smiled at her sympathetically. Abeke smiled back.

 **Abeke walked in between the people of the village, aware she had been a shame to them. She wished she could run away and be eaten by a lion.**

'Strange wish,' Rollan murmured. Meilin rolled her eyes and sighed softly.

 **But instead she held that stupid jar along her side, held her chin high and remained walking. The wind had started and blew dust over the village. A cloud went before the sun. Abeke didn't smile and held a straight face. She followed the long trail of people. When she walked past, the rows closed behind her; everybody walked with her to her destination.** **Abeke saw Chinwe. She was at the end of the path and had her green cloak, which was only showed at bonding rituals, draped over her shoulder nonchalantly. The tattoo of her wildebeest was visible on her thin, uncovered leg. When Chinwe saw Abeke she started to sing. The people of the village repeated every word of the old language of the tribe. Abeke and the others had no idea what the words meant, but it was tradition.**

'Singing, fantastic,' Rollan said. 'Oh, don't you dare,' Meilin said groaning. 'Quickly, continue,' she said to Olvan. He raised an eyebrow but did as she said.

 **When Abeke had reached Chinwe she kneeled to the ground and felt the earth at her uncovered knees. As she sang, Chinwe put a small bowl in a large tub. She didn't seem angry or disappointed. She seemed just like every bonding ritual: relaxed, and maybe a bit bored.**

'Bored? Why?' Rollan asked. 'Don't ask me,' Abeke said.

 **Chinwe gave Abeke the bowl. There was only a little bit of liquid in it, just as colourless as water, but thicker. Abeke drank it. The Necytar tasted like cold soup,**

'Cold soup? Yuck,' Rollan said. 'It's good,' Abeke protested. 'If you say so,' Rollan muttered.

 **like her mother had made from crushed nuts, when she was younger.**

Rollan didn't say a thing but was quiet for some time.

 **This was sweeter though, but for the rest it was just like it. Abeke got tears in her eyes because of the memory.**

Abeke got tears in her eyes, which she blinked away quickly. Conor saw it, and squeezed her hand softly, while giving her a small smile. She smiled back a bit.

* * *

 **So, that was the first part of Abeke and Uraza. I hope you enjoyed. Btw, I'm trying to keep the characters real, but I don't really know if that's working so please tell me in a review. Thanks.**


	5. Uraza (2)

**Hey guys, here I am again. The last part of Abeke and Uraza, I hope you enjoy. Btw, I don't own SA.**

* * *

 **When she returned the bowl, Abeke looked at Chinwe with questioning eyes. Had that really been the Nectar?**

'No it hadn't been,' Rollan recommended and he sighed, as if irritated by the question. Meilin rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

 **Or had Chinwe changed the Nectar for nut-carrot soup?**

'Sure, and that's how you summoned Uraza,' Rollan recommended. 'Why are you all so stupid?'

'Because, we didn't know we were going to summon a spirit animal yet back then,' Abeke said, as she rolled her eyes towards Meilin, who gave her a look which said something like, we should probably throw him out of the window. That would be good for him. Abeke smiled and nodded slightly, at which Meilin looked satisfied.

Rollan had been following their silent conversation, and he asked confused. 'What was that all about?'

'Nothing,' Abeke and Meilin said, at the same time.

Rollan raised his eyebrows and sighed. 'Girls,' he muttered silently.

'What did you say?' Meilin asked him sweetly.

'Nothing,' Rollan answered. Quickly, Olvan started reading, before they could argue.

 **Chinwe took the bowl from Abeke and continued singing. Abeke felt shaky, a little dizzy and caught off guard. Was this a normal reaction?**

'If you summon a spirit animal,' Lishay and Tarik said at the same time. They looked at each other and blushed a little. Everybody laughed a bit at it.

 **Her sences caught everything. She smelled the intense smell of rain which was being brought towards them by the wind. She heard every single voice. She even recognised her father and sister. Clouds came out of nowhere and there was some rumbling, as if a heavy rainstorm was coming. The singing died as everyone looked up. Once, Abeke had seen a spirit animal being summoned. Hano, nephew of the old Raindancer, had summoned a spirit animal. A soft glow had come up behind Hano and from that light his spirit animal had come. Abeke had been six when it happened, but she couldn't remember there had been a thunderstorm.**

'That's a special thing,' Rollan said. 'A Coneke thing', Meilin said. Both Conor and Abeke blushed.

 **This light didn't have anything soft. Suddenly, a flaming firewall appeared, brighter than a campfire. It cast long shadows over the village. Some people shouted, afraid. When the light dissolved, a leopard had appeared.**

'And I summoned Uraza. Next,' Abeke said. 'Why?' Conor asked. 'There's no need to hear the next things,' Abeke said. 'Why?' Conor, Rollan and Meilin said at the same time.

Abeke chuckled. 'Because it's some Zerif stuff.' Nobody said a thing, until Olvan broke the silence by reading again.

 **Abeke's entire body shook and she watched with her mouth open.**

Rollan laughed at this.

 **The leopard was big and strong, nearly as big as lion, with a beautiful, shining pelt. If Abeke had been standing on the savanne and their had been such an animal close to her, she wouldn't be able to tell it had happened.**

'Dead,' Rollan muttered.

 **Nobody said a thing. With fluid movements, which made the muscles underneath her pelt rolling, the majestic animal walked to Abeke and nuzzled her leg. As soon as Abeke was touched, the feeling that she was being electrified disappeared. Suddenly, Abeke shrank down a little. The village suddenly seemed very strange and cramped. She had to leave. Would she jump? She had the idea that she could reach the closest roof if she wanted to. She wanted to run really fast over the savanne, and creep and hunt and climb.**

Rollan groaned. 'I wish I had seen that.' 'And now I'm glad he didn't,' Abeke murmured.

 **The leopard nuzzled her again and made an end to the stream of instincts which made her dizzy. Abeke stood straight again and still scarcely understood what was going on. The animal that was standing next to her could eat her with one bite.**

'And she still doesn't get that that animal is her spirit animal,' Rollan muttered, at which Meilin glared at him and rolled her eyes. Rollan rolled his eyes back and Meilin sighed.

 **'She's just like Uraza,' a child said, with which the silence was broken. The remark started a lot of whispering. The leopard walked a few steps away from Abeke, nearly unconcerned, and looked back. She did look like Uraza! She had the same famous purple eyes, shining like amethysts. But that was impossible.**

'Isn't,' Rollan said.

 **Leopards where never summoned. Cheeta's maybe, but never leopards or lions. And definitely not leopards with purple eyes. Purple eyes!**

'We get it. She has purple eyes,' Rollan shouted.

 **Above them, thunder sounded and it started to rain. Forst quietly, but it soon turned into a huge rain. Everybody raised their faces up, towards the rain, with their arms wide and mouths open. Their was laughter and people shouted happy cries.**

'How can people be happy it rains?' Rollan asked. 'They didn't have any water for eons,' Meilin said. 'You would be happy too.' 'Yeah, sure,' Rollan muttered, sounding as if he didn't believe it.

 **Somebody grabbed Abeke's wrist.**

'Zerif!' Rollan said. Everyone looked at Abeke, who shook her head. 'Chinwe,' she said.

 **It was Chinwe.** **She had an uncommon smile on her face. 'I think we found our new Raindancer.'** **The old Raindancer had died more than two years ago and since that time, no more rain had fallen at Okaihee. A few times it had rained, outside the fence, but inside the fence there hadn't been a drop. A few springs had dried. Many times, there had been debates about how to lift the curse. 'A Raindancer?' Abeke asked, surprised. 'There's not a lot we can say to change it,' Chinwe said. Abeke's father came towards them and cast the leopard an unsure glance.**

'He's afraid of his daughter's spirit animal?' Rollan asked.

'It is a leopard,' Maya stated.

'So. It's her spirit animal. There's no need to be afraid.' 'He probably thought I couldn't control her,' Abeke said, a little saddened. Nobody said a thing until Olvan broke the silence by starting to read again.

 **'I think we should go inside.' Abeke watched him with eyes squeezed nearly shut due to the rain. 'This is unbelievable, right father?' 'You should say that.' He seemed somewhere else with his thoughts. Was he still angry at her.**

'Probably this time because she summoned a spirit animal and Soama didn't,' Rollan muttered really softly. Meilin glared at him, but he didn't react.

 **'Your daughter ended the drought,' Chinwe said. 'That does seem like it.' 'And she summoned a leopard. Maybe the leopard.' Her father nodded slowly. 'The animal that protects Nilo. But what does that mean, Chinwe?' 'I don't know,' Chinwe said. 'It's different than... I have to talk to someone who sees more than I do.'**

'Lenori,' the Four said at the same time. 'Probably,' Olvan nodded. 'But there wasn't time for that because the message I got from Chinwe explained that Zerif had arrived and taken Abeke.' 'Abeke nodded. 'Yep, that's about what happened.'

 **Her father glanced towards the leopard. 'Are we safe?'**

'Told you,' Rollan said. 'He's afraid of her.' 'And he thought I couldn't control her,' Abeke commended.

 **Chinwe shrugged. 'As safe as people can be close to a wild animal. It's her spirit animal.' Her father turned towards her, while droplets of rain slit down his bald head. 'The rain is trying to catch up on all of the lost time. Come.' Abeke followed her father; her beautiful cloth was totally drained. 'Are you disappointed?' She asked carefully.**

'Very,' Rollan said, in a very serious yet funny tone. Everybody laughed.

 **He stopped walking and grabbed her shoulders, without taking notice to the rain.**

'It's raining so hard you already get wet when you're outside for a second and your not noticing it? Niloan people are a little crazy.' Rollan said. Abeke laughed, while Meilin scowled at him.

 **'I'm totally surprised. Totally!**

'We get it,' Rollan muttered. 'You're totally surprised.'

 **I should be happy that you summoned an animal. But you summoned a leopard. And not just a leopard, no, a leopard which seems like she is our protection animal.**

'We get it,' Rollan said. 'What do we get?' Meilin challenged. 'That she summoned a leopard, who might be their protection animal,' Rollan said. 'They don't have to continue saying that.' 'And I don't think I have to continue explaining stuff to you just because you don't understand things so can you please. Stop. With. Commenting. Every. Few. Seconds?'

'I don't think so. That's no fun. Ow! Why do you have to do that?' 'Because you're useless.' 'Love you too,' Rollan said. Meilin blushed slightly, but managed to quickly hide it.

Everyone was looking at them very amusedly.

 **You have always been different, positively and negatively.**

'Is that a compliment?' Meilin asked. Abeke shrugged. 'No idea.'

 **But this... Shall your animal bring you good or bad things. And us? I don't know what to think of it.' The leopard growled quietly, not threatening but unsatisfied.**

'Ooh, Uraza is angry because she is being insulted,' Rollan said.

 **Abeke's father turned around and let the way to their house. The leopard walked behind them. When they reached the front door, a stranger awaited them.**

'Oh no,' Abeke groaned.

 **He wore Eurean clothes: boots, pants and an expensive blue cloak with a hood against the rain. Due to the hood, his face wasn't clear.**

No one said a thing, but their minds where on the same thing.

 **Abeke's father stopped walking until he stood in front of the man. 'Who are you?' 'My name is Zerif,'**

Olvan's voice tightened a little when he spoke the name.

 **the man replied with a lively voice.**

'A lively voice, dream on. It's probabaly a smug voice' Meilin muttered.

 **I come from far away. Your daighter has made the impossible possible, like predicted weeks ago by Yumaris the Unfathomable, one of the wisest woman of Erdas. The happenings of today will change the world. I'm here to help you.**

'Help us, dream on,' Meilin muttered again.

 **'Than come inside,' her father said. 'I am Pojalo.' The three of them walked inside. The leopard simply followed. Soama awaited them; her clothes weren't drained from the rain. She had probably went inside as soon as it had started to rain. 'There she is,' she said, watching every move the leopard made. 'Am I dreaming?'**

'Yes, and everyone is dreaming the same dream,' Rollan muttered.

 **'Beautiful, right?' Abeke asked, hoping her sister was impressed. Tye leopards sniffed the air and than sat down next to Abeke. Abeke bend down to pat the wet fur. She didn't mind the strong smell.**

'I would,' Rollan murmured.

 **'I don't like it,' Soama said. She looked at her father for help. 'Does that animal really have to come inside?'**

'Well, you can let her stand outside, in the rain. Since that isn't really an option, yes, she has to come inside,' Abeke stated.

 **'She's with me,' Abeke answered immediately. The stranger put of his hood. The man was middle-aged, with a light brown skin and a neatly cut beard which covered only the tip of his chin. 'Maybe I can help you. This must be very confusing for you. Abeke, when you woke up this morning you probably didn't think you would change the world's fait.'**

'Straight to the point, he always is,' Meilin muttered.

 **'Were are you from, Zerif?' Pojalo asked. 'A traveler like me comes from everywhere,' Zerif answered.**

'That's not an answer,' Meilin said.

 **'Are you a Greencloak?'**

'No!' Multiple people said.

 **Abeke thought he sounded just as confident as a Greencloak, even though he didn't wear the cloak.**

'Because he isn't,' Meilin said. 'We know,' Rollan muttered.

 **'I am one of the marked, but I don't wear the green cloak.**

'Is he one of the marked? Truly marked, I mean,' Abeke asked.

Olvan shook his head while Lenori nodded. 'He is marked but he has also drunk the Bile,' Lenori explained.

 **I am with them,**

'Definitely not,' some people muttered.

 **but I am mostly intrigued by the Great Beasts. Have you heard about the fights in the northern area of Nilo?' 'Only rumours,' Pojalo said. 'Something about invaders from outside Nilo. Due to the drought we mostly had problems about water and food, to be totally honest.' 'Those rumours are like the creaking of a dam, which can break through at any moment,' Zerif said. 'Soon, not only Nilo, but the entire planet of Erdas will be overrun by war. The Four Fallen are returning. Your daughter summoned one of them. And due to that, she is now in the middle of that war.'**

'At least he's speaking the truth, mostly,' Olvan muttered. 'He's hiding the fact that the war is actually partly his fault,' Meilin said. Olvan nodded and continued reading.

 **Pojalo looked at the leopard, shocked. 'We already thought she looked a lot like...' 'She doesn't just look like her,' Zerif corrected. 'Abeke summoned Uraza.'**

'And done!' Rollan said.

 **'But how...' Soama whispered with big, scared eyes. 'There is no answer on that,' Zerif said. 'The only question is: what is she going to do? I give you my help. You have to decide quickly. This leopard will give Abeke many enemies.'**

'Like you,' Conor muttered.

 **'What do you suggest?' Pojalo asked. 'She is our new Raindancer, and rain is something we terribly need.' 'Her gift,' Zerif said seriously, 'shall bring much more than just rain.' Abeke frowned. This unknown Zerif clearly had plans with her, and her father was hanging on his lips. Did he want to lose her?**

'Yes,' Rollan said, but he winked friendly at Abeke. Meilin looked as if she was about to elbow him, and Rollan quickly ducked, away from her. Abeke and Conor laughed at it.

 **If Soama had summoned the leopard, would he be so eager too? Zerif rubbed through his beard with two fingers. 'We have much to do. Let's start with the most important:**

'Let's kidnap Abeke,' Conor said sarcastically.

 **you probably have noticed Uraza is a little tense. I auggest we give the leopard the antelope, or we don't put these two in the same room.'**

Rollan laughed. 'He's got a point in that.' Meilin slapped him. 'Ow! What was that for?' 'If you think, you will find out,' she replied.

* * *

 **So, what do you think. Hope you enjoyed it. Next is Meilin and Jhi. And please review.**


	6. Jhi (1)

**Hey guys, here I am again. To all the people who love Meilin and Jhi, here is their first part, I hope you enjoy it. Btw, I don't own SA.**

* * *

'Can I read now?' Lishay asked. Olvan nodded, handing her the book. She started reading.

 **Meilin was sitting on a cushion before her mirror, and carefully applied her makeup.**

'Of course she does,' Rollan said, teasingly. This earned him a elbow in the side from Meilin. 'Ow.'

 **She didn't mind it if her maids**

'Maids! You had maids! I knew it! You did live in a palace!' Rollan shouted out. Meilin rolled her eyes. 'There can be maids anywhere, not only in a palace.' 'Yes there are, only in a palace.'

Lishay quickly continued reading before they could start arguing about it.

 **did her makeup for a festival or a banquet, but today was a very important day. Today, she wanted to be absolutely perfect. And if you wanted something to be perfect, you had to do it yourself.**

'Agreed,' Lishay murmured.

 **When she had finished the eyeliner, Meilin admired her work. It was an artwork on an artwork.**

Rollan smiled, admiringly.

 **People always said she was pretty. She never had to use makeup to get compliments, but now, her beauty charms went far further than her natural beauty. Everybody could do the simple things, the normal things.**

'And those are?' Rollan asked. 'Not. A boys thing,' Meilin told him.

 **But Meilin knew a few tricks that her maids didn't: how to make the rouge on her cheeks fade in a beautiful way, how to put small golden dots by her eyes, and how, by making her hair a little imperfect, it was even more beautiful. Meilin tried a shy smile,**

'She tried it on me,' Rollan commended. 'When we first met. And when she did I knew I was her prince charming.' Meilin face palmed. 'Of course not. I do it with tons of boys.' 'Just for their reaction,' Abeke added and Meilin nodded in agreement.

'Just don't teach it to Abeke,' Rollan murmured.

'Rollan, seriously. You call yourself a prince charming? Every girl can smile like that,' Lishay said.

Rollan sighed and dropped himself into his chair, murmuring something like. 'Guys, we're dead.' The girls laughed softly and Lishay continued reading.

 **a true one,**

Rollan smiled.

 **followed by a surprised glance, and an angry frown.**

Rollan smiled wider, but then Meilin elbowed him. 'Why..?'

'You look like an absolute idiot,' Meilin snapped, though there was a slight bit of red on her cheeks.

 **She let her hands flow down the sides of her skintight, silk dress and decided she was ready.**

'She probably looked like an angel,' Rollan commented.

 **Somebody knocked softly on the door. 'Miss?' A high voice sweetly asked. 'Is everything alright? Can I help you with something?' That was Kusha's way to politely tell her that she should come. The most important people of the region where waiting for her. 'I'm nearly ready,' Meilin replied. 'I'm coming.'**

'That simply doesn't make sense,' Rollan commented. No one said a thing.

 **Meilin didn't want to make the guests wait too long, but she wanted to be sure that all eyes would be on her. The other candidates had already received the Nectar. Meilin would drink the Nectar the last, the place of honour. It was said that the person who drank the Nectar the last had the biggest chance of summoning a spirit animal.**

'Told you,' Meilin said, doing a small victory dance whilst sitting on her chair. Everybody looked at her like she did something crazy.

'What?' Meilin asked. 'Nothing,' a few people replied.

'But you are all right?' Conor said. 'I'm always all right,' Meilin replied. This time, Rollan rolled his eyes.

 **As the daughter of general Teng, one of the highest officers of the Zhongese army, she had, since her birth, always been assured of the last place during her ceremony, which was held every three months. The fact that she didn't have any brothers to take away her birthright made her even more important.**

'The conclusion. She is the most important girl of Zhong,' Rollan said. 'I'm not,' Meilin said. 'You are.' 'I'm not.' 'You' 'Useless discussion,' Lishay decided and she continued reading.

 **Her mother had summoned a spirit animal, just like her four grandparents and eight great grandparents. Her father, grandfather and two of her great grandfathers had been generals. Even her least successful family members had been potent merchants.**

'Told you she was,' Rollan muttered.

 **Only the emperor could have a better bloodline. Her father hadn't summoned a spirit animal, but in military rang, he had climbed higher than all his other ancestors. He was an impressive man - nobody was more cunning or perceptive, or more revengeful than he was when he was being thwarted. Last night, her father had told her that he was sure she would summon a spirit animal because he had seen it in a vision.**

Meilin pulled her lips into a thin line, and only if you knew her very well you could see she was fighting back tears. Rollan slowly grabbed her hand. She didn't protest, indeed, she held his hand too.

 **Meilin didn't know of he had been to a fortune-teller or if he had seen it himself, but he had been very sure of it, and her father never made a mistake.**

Meilin bit her lip, her eyes turned a little glossy and she smiled softly when Rollan squeezed her hand.

 **Meilin picked up her parasol. It was made of paper, with detailed pictures on it, purely for decoration. She placed it on her shoulder and cast a last glance in the mirror. A heavy fist pounded on the door, and she looked up, shocked. This was not a maid.**

'No! It was Zerif, to bring you the Bile,' Rollan said. Meilin smiled a small smile, and the small tears in her eyes disappeared.

 **'Yes?' Meilin said. 'Are you dressed?' A man's voice asked.**

'Told you, Zerif,' Rollan said. Everybody grinned at his triumphant tone.

 **'Yes.' The door opened.**

'Aaaaaaaaaaand.'

 **It was general Chin,**

Everybody laughed at Rollan's face which was literally worth thousands.

 **the second-hand of her father, in his most official uniform. Was she that late?** **'What's wrong, general?' 'I'm sorry I stumbled in so randomly,' he said. He stopped talking and ran his tongue over his lips. He looked upset, as if he didn't really know how to continue. 'I have... bad news. The invasion of Zhong has started. We must finish the ceremony quickly and then leave immediately.' 'Invasion?'**

'Conquerors,' the four murmured at the same time. They looked at each other, surprised, before bursting out in laughter. The adults looked at them, unsure what was going on.

When the four children finally managed to stop, Lishay asked dryly. 'Was it funny?' They all nodded and Rollan said. 'You don't want to know.' 'And you probably wouldn't get it either,' Meilin added. 'Non-adult jokes,' Abeke grinned. 'Instead of adult-jokes,' Conor said.

They burst out in laughter again, and this time, Lishay continued reading, which stopped them fairly quickly, except for Rollan of course.

 **'You have heard about the skirmishes in the southeast, right.' 'Yes, of course.' Her father had very few secrets for her.**

'Just one,' Meilin said a little bitterly.

 **But he hadn't told her there was a real danger. 'We have just heard that that was just the beginning of a big attack. Your father had already made precautions, but our enemies have more soldiers and material than General Teng could ever have imagined.' General Chin gulped. 'Shar Liwao has already been taken. We are officially in war.'**

'Doom. Doom. Doom. Doom.' (Rollan)

 **Did wars always start like this? On days when everyone was supposed to be happy.**

'To be very truthful, yes,' Olvan replied.

 **Meilin suddenly felt sick and she really wanted to be alone. Her father would probably leave soon. Zhong was a mighty country and her father was the best general of Erdas. Everything would be alright. But her father had always emphasised how unsure a war could be. A lost arrow could kill the greatest hero. In times of war, no on was safe.**

Everybody nodded.

 **'Has the entire city fallen?' Meilin had to ask it. 'Yes. More messages are coming. The attack has been executed extremely fast, by Zhongese rebellions and foreign invaders.**

'And who would they be?' Rollan said sarcastically.

 **'I'll pass the ceremony,' Meilin said. 'That will be of later business.' 'No, we have just received the news. The people know nothing. That's how we want to keep it.**

'And that's lying,' Rollan said. 'Sometimes you have to lie,' Meilin recommended. 'It's not nice.' 'It was necessary.'

'And here we go again,' Abeke murmured to Conor, who grinned and nodded. 'Enough,' Lenori said and she gestured to Lishay to quickly continue reading.

 **Don't say anything about the attack. Everything should be calm and normal.' Meilin nodded. 'Okay, I'll go with it. But this is an emergency. Can't father go?' 'He insists on being here when you receive the Nectar.' Meilin followed general Chin as she walked out of her house.**

'Palace,' Rollan muttered. 'House.' 'Palace.' 'House.' 'Palace.' 'Not important.'

 **She ignored her curious maids,**

'Maids! She has multiple!' Rollan shouted. 'Yes Rollan. And if you had paid attention, you would have known that earlier,' Meilin replied calmly.

Rollan opened his mouth to say something but Meilin said. 'Shut up please, Rollan, and I might give you a kiss.' The others laughed when Rollan shut his mouth abruptly and sat straight.

 **who all followed them. Their villa**

'Villa!' Rollan exclaimed, but he shut his mouth abruptly and gestured to Lishay that she could continue. A few people laughed softly.

 **was close to the place were all Nectar Ceremonies where held, so they didn't have to walk far. With open parasol, Meilin walked towards the stage. Thousands of people followed her with their gaze. General Chin walked next to her. There was a lot of cheering.**

'Unfair,' Rollan said.

 **This seemed like a normal festive occasion. These people had no idea what horrid things where about to happen.**

'And a few minutes later, people would be dead because of it,' Lenori said, a pained expression on her face. Olvan slowly reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She smiled a little shyly, a slight blush creeping over her cheeks. She blushed a little more, Olvan too now, when everybody looked at them, utterly surprised. 'What?' They asked at the same time. Lishay shook her head and continued reading.

 **Close to the stage, the people where allowed to sit instead of stand. More money and status meant more ease and luxury.**

'Of course,' Rollan muttered. 'You held your promise for a minute or two,' Meilin said. Rollan didn't say a thing so Lishay simply continued.

 **When Meilin reached them, even the officials, rich merchants and government employees stood up to clap.**

'Life is completely unfair,' Rollan grumbled.

 **Meilin tried to smile as reassuringly as possible. When she recognised a face, she nodded. Everything felt shaken and fake. She wondered if the people would see through her acting. Close by, a boy called her name. It was Alexander, with who she had been in school. His father was a high government employee. Alexander had never made it a secret that he liked her even though he was three years older.**

Rollan rolled his eyes, but suddenly felt someone stomp him in the ribs. 'Ow! Why did you do that?' He asked, to Meilin. She smiled. 'Because you are not my boyfriend. And Alexander at least has manners.' 'He is three years older than you.'

'So,' Meilin shrugged and pointed with her eyes to Olvan and Lenori and Finn and Maya. Rollan sighed.

Olvan looked from Lenori to Meilin. 'What! We're not...' But his cheeks reddened a little as he started trying to say something. Lenori blushed a little too Meilin just face-palmed, while Abeke shook her head slowly. 'Why are adults so blind? They're becoming like Larik,' she said. Meilin nodded while Tarik asked. 'Would you once care to explain to us what 'Larik' is.'

The four looked at each other and shook their head at the same time. 'Definitely not. That will ruin the fun,' Meilin said. Lishay decided to continue reading before this would evolve into a never ending discussion.

 **She gave him the shy smile she had been practicing. His face reddened and he blushed brightly. Meilin had never kissed a boy, though there where enough. She hated being seen as some sort of trophy.**

'The feeling is very mutual,' the other girls all said at the same time. They laughed at it, leaving the boys to guess what they were talking about.

 **Her father was a rich, popular general, and she also was sweet and pretty. Those boys didn't know her. She was just a nice catch, and it was impossible to say which part of that catch they wanted most.**

'You're suggesting?' Olvan said. 'Nothing bad,' Meilin said with a small smile.

 **She wondered how they would react if they discovered her secret. Underneath the makeup and expensive silk she wasn't the beautiful little flower they thought. Her education had been flawless. She could paint, serve tea, garden, recite poets, sing. But her favourite thing had always been fighting.**

'That's my girl' Rollan said. Meilin hit him. 'Not your girl.'

 **It had started very innocently, at her fifth. Her father was very practical, he knew the best warriors in Zhong and wanted his daughter to learn a few basic moves to be able to protect herself. He had never thought she would have so much talent for it, or that she would like it so much. Every year she practiced harder. In the deepest secret, she became the son her father never had.**

'Your father did know, right,' Lenori asked. Meilin nodded. 'And he was quiet delighted.'

 **She could fight with knives, sticks and spears. She could handle bows, crossbows and slingshots. But her favourite subject was fighting without weapons. About six weeks after her eleventh birthday, she could nearly defeat the best masters. She was slender but strong. Once an adult, she would be more than formidable.**

'Wow,' some people whispered. Meilin, of course, smiled a small smile.

 **Meilin hoped her spirit animal would help her fight even better. She knew that a strong bond with a spirit animal could bring all sorts of powers. With the help of the right animal, good warriors became great and great warriors legendary.**

'And what do legendary warriors become?' Rollan asked. 'Fabeltastic,' Abeke said, with a small wink to Meilin, who nodded. Rollan frowned and seemed to think over the word 'fabeltastic'.

 **What animal would fit with her? Her father called her the Little Tiger. A tiger could be nice,**

'Agreed,' Lishay muttered, at which the rest smiled a little.

 **or maybe a panther or something.**

'Panthers are great,' Finn said with an approving nod. Rollan and Conor suddenly started laughing hysterically, while Finn frowned. 'Have I said something wrong?' 'No idea,' Meilin said. 'And I don't plan to find out either,' Abeke commended, flashing a smile to Finn, who simply raised his eyebrows. Meilin nodded and gestured to Lishay to continue.

 **An ox could give a lot of power. She tried not to focus on one animal particularly though. The crowd cheered for her. Only the highest officers knew that they were on the brink of a war. Soon, they all had something different on their minds, at least not a Nectar Ceremony.**

Rollan looked as if he wanted to say something but closed his mouth, probably just in time.

 **When she reached the stage, Meilin folded in her parasol and handed it over to one of her maids. She saw her father sitting in the front, very handsome in his uniform, and she gave him a polite nod.**

'How is it possible Meilin always knows how to act?' Rollan said. 'Tutors,' was her simple reply.

 **She saw an approving look in his eyes. He admired her calmness and composure. Around the stage, a lot of animals in cages had been set, a royal collection of wild animals like tigers,**

A small pause and smile from Lishay.

 **pandas,**

Meilin smiled this time.

 **foxes, crocodiles,**

This time, some people grimaced, thinking of the last crocodile they had known.

 **cranes, baboons, pythons, ostriches, oxen, water buffaloes and even two young elephants.**

'She gets elephants? Unfair,' Rollan commended.

 **Her region always furnished lots of animals, but she had never seen as much as today. But father had made sure that had happened. On the stage, Sheyu, the leader of the Greencloaks in her region, was awaiting her. He was simply dressed and since his animal was nowhere to be seen, it was highly likely in passive state. If she had remembered right, Sheyu's tattoo was on his chest.**

'Works very well there,' Rollan nodded in agreement.

 **Her father had mixed feeling about the Greencloaks. He respected them, but he also thought they had too much power and to many bonds with the other countries. He didn't like it that they were the only ones who owned the Nectar and that they used it to be able to interfere everywhere in the world with everyone.**

'That's one way to see it,' Olvan muttered. Meilin simply shrugged, and they didn't discuss it any further.

 **Secretly, Meilin was very impressed by them, and because of a very simple reason: the Zhongese army didn't allow woman to fight with them,**

'And that is so extremely sexism,' Lishay and Meilin said at the same time. They grinner at each other, and the other girls nodded.

 **but the Greencloaks didn't look at gender. They looked at what people could do. Meilin's eyes fell on an unknown woman who also stood on the stage.**

'Oh my,' Meilin and Lenori said at the same time.

 **She seemed to be from a different country, qua clothes and qua physical appearance. She was barefooted and small and thin, with that vulnerable appearance some men thought was attractive. Due to the feathers in her hair, Meilin knew she was from Amaya.**

'Interesting description,' Lenori said. Meilin groaned. 'I know. Don't even start about it.' Lenori smiled softly and said. 'It's okay.'

 **Next to the woman, an exotic bird stood on the stage. Sheyu beckoned Meilin forward. She walked towards him, not forgetting to keep her face turned towards the public. It always looked so amateurish when candidates did that.**

'As if that's important,' Rollan said. 'Yes, it is.'

 **Loudly, Sheyu chanted the ceremonial words, the same which he always spoke. Meilin told herself to keep calm if her father had been wrong and there wouldn't be an animal.**

'But there will be, no matter what,' Olvan whispered, so softly that no one heard it.

 **Her father had always been fine and he hadn't had an animal. If he could do it, so could she. Sheyu put a jade carafe against her lips and Meilin took a sip. The warm drink was an unpleasant bitter surprise on her tongue, and it took her a lot of effort not to make a disgusting face.**

'That definitely isn't Nectar,' Olvan said, his eyebrows raised. Meilin nodded in agreement.

 **Instead of it, she forced herself to smile and then a feeling like fire spread through her belly. The warmth radiated out of her and her ears started to tingle. The sky wasn't clouded, but the sunlight disappeared. A fierce flash and suddenly a black-white panda stood next to Meilin on the stage.**

'And there was Jhi,' Rollan said.

 **The animal was big for its kind, with outstanding, silver-coloured eyes, just like Jhi on the Big Banner of Zhong.**

'See, I told you,' Rollan said triumphantly. 'Rollan. That wasn't even difficult,' Finn said. Rollan, who had been in the middle of a little victory dance, suddenly stopped, making his expression worth thousands. So of course, everybody laughed at it. Rollan grumbled softly and Lishay continued reading.

 **The panda slowly walked towards Meilin and stood straight to place both her forepaws against Meilin's chest.**

Rollan murmured something, really softly. 'Excuse me?' Meilin asked sweetly. 'Nothing, Rollan told her, trying to be just a sweet but... simply being Rollan.

 **For a few moments, Meilin felt completely relaxed. There was no longer a public looking at her, she was simply... herself. The sun shone on her and she enjoyed its warmth, and the soft breeze surrounding her. And then the moment was over.**

'Wow,' Rollan said. 'That was one interesting moment.'

 **Meilin stared at her new spirit animal in disbelief. A giant panda. Giant pandas were never summoned**

'You just did it,' Rollan said.

 **because Jhi had been a giant panda and Jhi was a Great Beast, one of the Fallen. In a corner of the parade place stood an image of Jhi, very big and a little over the top. A panda was about the opposite of a tiger.**

Everybody laughed. 'Yes, probably,' Lishay affirmed.

 **More like cute and a little dumb**

'That is a serious insult,' Maya said, a little offended. 'You don't say that to your spirit animal.' Meilin groaned and nodded. 'I know.'

 **than impressive and dangerous. What was a warrior supposed to do with a panda. Learn to eat bamboo.**

Some people laughed, while Meilin groaned.

 **The crowd was deadly silent. Meilin searched for her father's familiar face. He looked shocked.**

'And he hadn't expected that,' Olvan said. Meilin nodded.

 **The Amayan woman was now standing next to her. 'I am Lenori,' she said softly. 'I am here to help you.' 'Are you a Greencloak?' 'I don't wear one, but I am one.**

'She wasn't lying at least,' Olvan said.

 **Do you understand what I've done?' 'I'm not supposed to be able to summon a panda.' 'Exactly.** **Lenori grabbed Meilin's hand and raised it up high in the air.**

'And how high would that be?' Rollan said, grinning. It earned him a punch from Meilin. 'You are so not funny.'

 **'Meilin has fulfilled the prophecy that almost everyone has forgotten! Jhi the Fallen has returned to Erdas! We must all...'**

'What must we all?' Rollan said, and again Meilin punched him. 'Ow.' 'It is still your own fault,' she said

 **Lenori couldn't finish her sentence, since the alarm clocks began to ring, a constant rhythm of ding-dong that showed there was an emergency situation. Tensed, Meilin looked around the parade place. Did this have to do anything with the invasion? That was nonsense. Shar Liwao was very far away, behind the Wall of Zhong.**

'And sometimes wars rage everywhere, no matter where you are,' Olvan whispered, earning nods around everywhere.

 **Just as Meilin remembered that her face couldn't show of anything, the three horns of the city rang - long, low tones that warned that there was immediate danger.**

'Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.' (Rollan again)

* * *

 **So, what do you think of this chapter? Please review to let me know. Thanks.**


	7. Jhi (2)

**Hey guys, here I am again. I know, I have been terrible with updating. But somehow, this chapter was really difficult. I will be trying to update more frequently. P.S. Rollan and Essix is next, after this chapter. And I unfortunately don't own SA.**

* * *

 **The crowd started moving. Meilin, who knew that a lot of eyes would still be on her, stood without moving and tried to remain calm.**

'Tried? I thought you could do everything perfectly?' Rollan said.

'Not everything. Being irritating is not something I can do perfectly. Actually, I can't even be irritating,' Meilin said.

The others grinned, Rollan looked a little annoyed and Meilin looked satisfied.

 **This was not fake, the horns showed that. Something very bad was happening. Was that the smell of smoke? Through the high walls of the parade place she couldn't clearly see what was going on out there. At that moment, the shouting started.**

'That's terribly exaggerating,' Rollan commented. Meilin rolled her eyes. 'Wasn't but you'll never get it.'

 **At the end of the parade place, behind the strongly protected chairs of the highest, was fighting. Men and women threw their cloaks off and summoned their spirit animals. People were slaughtered by swords and axes. While everyone jostled each other to get away, a bull stormed through the crowd. Three arrows flew through the air and landed on the stage loudly.**

'Wow,' Rollan said quietly.

 **Meilin didn't acknowledge the arrows, even though one was so close to her that she could kick against it. The invasion was far away, right? Behind the wall.**

'Not thinking, I have to flee, but, why is there an invasion?' Rollan said. Meilin sighed annoyed.

'What?' Rollan asked. Meilin only shook her head and Lishay continued reading.

 **She had overheard conversations about rebellions in other cities close by but those type of things didn't happen in Jano Rion. This was a civilised city,**

This time, Rollan rolled his eyes.

 **and one of the strongest cities of Zhong. With a flash, Sheyu freed his spirit animal. It roared loudly. Sheyu put on a glove with four sharp knives attached to it. With his other hand he grabbed Meilin's upper arm and pulled her to get her with him. 'They must be coming for you!' He called out.**

Rollan had a sudden strange look on his face.

 **She tripped but managed to follow him to the back of the stage, whilst trying to see what was happening on the parade place. The guards opposed themselves against the rebels. It was spear against sword and ax against shield.**

'I don't get it,' Rollan said. Meilin shook her head. 'Your brain won't be able to afford such much information,' she told him.

Rollan made a face.

 **Some weapons reached their goal. Men and women screamed. Meilin's father had learned her a lot about battlefields, but up till now, she had never seen anyone be killed. In these short moments, she saw more images of the death then she could take.**

'Wow,' Rollan said again.

Meilin looked at him annoyed. 'What?!' She asked.

'Nothing,' Rollan said with a slightly smug smile on his face.

Meilin slapped him. 'People are dying and you're smiling. You have the emotional range of a teaspoon!'

Rollan looked at her, his mouth open. Before he could compose himself, Lishay continued reading.

 **The last thing she saw before she jumped off the stage with Sheyu was Kusha, one of her maids, who fell on her knees to the ground with an arrow in her back.**

People grimaced.

 **Meilin's father was waiting for her. Next to him were general Chin and Lenori. 'Hurry up,' her father said. 'We have to get to the tower, so we can see the entire city.' His words made her start moving. 'Okay,' she said, and when she looked back she just saw how her panda jumped from the stage, pretty clumsily.**

Rollan said something under his breath.

'Excuse me,' Meilin said sweetly.

'Nothing,' he replied, with the exact same sweet tone as her, at least he tried to.

Meilin rolled her eyes and gestured to Lishay to continue reading.

 **Jhi at least seemed unharmed. Would Kusha die because of that arrow? It had looked horrible.**

Meilin's eyes became a little teary, and she blinked a couple of times to get the tears away.

 **Her father ran towards the door behind the stage. Meilin and Sheyu ran behind him. From the side, rebels with weapons came to try to stop them. There was a huge dog, and a red panda, and an ibex with long, backwards curled horns. General Teng and General Chin**

'You know, all those Generals is pretty funny,' Rollan said.

 **drew their weapons at the same time. Close to the door, they changed their course and attacked the rebels. Sheyu put on a second glove with knives and ran towards them. Meilin wanted to help them too, but she had no weapons and the enemy did.**

'And you could attack and overpower an attacker with a tissue during one of the trainings,' Rollan said.

'I had a tissue,' Meilin told him, as if it was very serious stuff they were discussing.

The others laughed at Rollan's kind of stunned face.

 **She searched around her, looking for something she could use as a weapon,**

'Like a tissue,' Rollan said. Meilin nodded, a serious expression on her face.

 **but she couldn't find anything she could use.**

'No tissues,' Rollan commented. Meilin nodded, still trying to maintain a serious expression but failing. She, Abeke and Conor started laughing hysterically.

'Okay, I don't get it,' Olvan said. 'It is pretty funny, but this funny?'

Meilin shook her head. 'You won't understand anyway.'

Lishay decided to continue reading.

 **General Chin and her father fought the enemy the same way as they did during any practice.**

'This just isn't a practice,' Rollan said.

'Not funny,' Meilin said.

 **They worked together, slashed attacks away, finished off the attackers simply and helped each other with quick movements. Sheyu and his spirit animal dived through the rebels, where they managed to merely dodge attacks and slash at their attackers, hitting disastrously. Lenori pulled Meilin on towards the door. Jhi remained close by. When a second group of rebels came running towards them, Sheyu and the generals**

Rollan laughed.

 **retreated. General Chin opened the door with a key, whilst blood oozed out of a wound on his shoulder.**

'Ouch,' Rollan grimaced. 'It didn't get bloody with me, you know,' he added.

'And that's because Zerif is a coward,' Olvan grumbled.

'Read on,' Lenori whispered hurriedly to Lishay.

 **'Quickly!' He said. Everyone ran through the door, which General Chin then closed. Meilin's father started running and lead them through the tunnel in the wall around the parade place.**

'There's a tunnel in a wall?' Rollan asked sceptically. Meilin nodded and shrugged. 'What's the big deal?' 'Everything,' was his answer. Meilin raised her eyebrows and gestured to Lishay.

 **Meilin stayed closely behind him. Because of the thick wall, the noise outside was a lot less and their footsteps sounded loud as they ran. Meilin glanced over her shoulder and saw that the panda was all the way back, just walking fast enough to keep up. Meilin knew where her father wanted to go to.**

Applause from Rollan.

Meilin slapped the back of his head. 'Quit it.'

 **The high tower at the end of the wall presented probably the best view over Jano Rion. They would be able to see a big part of the city and its surroundings. That way, the general**

Rollan tried to smother his laughter, which only worked when Meilin glanced at him.

 **could assess the situation the best. While they stormed through the "halls" Meilin wanted to ask him a lot, but she didn't. If it had only been the two of them, she might have. But in this company,**

'What kind of company?' Olvan asked.

Meilin opened her mouth, closed it again and then said. 'Don't make me explain.'

Olvan only raised an eyebrow and Lishay continued reading.

 **her father would only say something if he wanted to. The soldiers who guarded the tower straightened their backs and saluted when her father came towards them. He saluted back quickly**

'In my opinion that is waste of time,' Rollan said.

'That's because you have never heard what respect is,' Meilin answered. 'And you have?' Rollan somehow had a mischievous glance in his eyes. 'More then you at least,' Meilin threw back, a small, smug smile playing at her lips when Rollan opened his mouth, closed it again, opened it again and closed it again.

Lishay took advantage of the silence and continued reading.

 **'What is that?' Lenori asked suspiciously. 'A very useful device,' Sheyu explained. 'Because of counterweights the platform is pulled completely to the top of the tower.'**

'This is again a waist of time,' Rollan said, causing Lenori to actually send him a nearly irritated look. Rollan shrunk back in hischair.

 **They all stepped on the platform. The panda didn't hesitate a moment.**

Rollan muttered something.

Meilin hit him on the shoulder.

 **Meilin stared in the silver-coloured eyes whilst the platform shot upwards.**

Rollan looked as if he might get a little sick.

 **The panda seemed very calm and scarily wise, despite the fighting and everything. Meilin looked away first. As soon as the platform reached the top, Meilin's father led everyone hastily to the viewpoint. Soldiers with binoculars stood straight and saluted. 'Don't let yourself get distracted,' her father said. And officer came towards them. but her father shoed him away. He wanted to overlook the situation himself. Meilin stood next to him, her mouth wide open,**

Rollan tried to smother his laughter, but he failed miserably.

Meilin sighed deeply. 'Thanks Rollan. For once we had done more than one or two sentences and of course you ruin it again.'

 **not believing her eyes. Jano Rion was being attacked.**

'Seriously?' Rollan asked, sarcastically and trying to be funny too.

'Quit it.'

'What? I already ruined it anyway, at least that's what you say.

 **In and around the capital city, one of the biggest in Zhong, battles raged. A gigantic army stormed like a wave over the fields towards the city walls. Rebels stormed through groups of defenders, who tried to organise themselves. Animals ran along. Other rebels even rode on animals.**

'You know, that is possible,' Olvan said dryly.

Meilin smiled. 'I am aware now. I guess just I wasn't back then.'

Rollan covered his head with his arms. Everyone stared at him.

'Uh, Rollan, what are you doing?' Maya and Finn asked at the same time. They looked at each other and blushed, looking away almost immediately.

'Meilin just admitted she isn't aware of something,' Rollan said.

'Wasn't,' Meilin said.

'Oh. Then I guess the world won't fall into disaster,' Rollan said, sitting back up. 'That has nearly happened before though. Read on.'

Lishay raised her eyebrows but did as Rollan said.

 **They had swords and spears, maces and axes. Where did these people come from? Why had no one noticed something? The city burned. At least at ten places, Meilin saw black smoke coming up, swirling towards the sky. The old school were she had had her lessons was burning. The building had stood there for centuries. Her ancestors had studied there, and now Meilin had to watch as it collapsed.**

Meilin's jaw tightened.

 **In the streets below them were heavy fights. Meilin tried to see more by extending her neck, but there were too many buildings and trees. Meilin's heart tightened when she saw the unmoving face of her father. She saw he was shocked, but he managed to hide it well. If you didn't know him very well, you wouldn't immediately see his surprise. His hand moved towards his binocular and he put it against his eye. He aimed it at a few places outside of the city walls and eventually at the city itself. 'They have so many spirit animals,' he murmured.**

'Probably bile animals,' Rollan muttered. Everybody nodded in agreement.

 **General Chin put his own binocular against his eye. 'Unknown. Such an army hasn't been seen since...'**

'Since?' Rollan asked. Everyone pretty much ignored him

 **Since the Devourer,' her father added. Meilin blinked her eyes. The Devourer was a legend from the past, a monster from tales.**

'See! You don't belief in them either anymore,' Rollan said.

Some people watched him with confused looks, but Meilin seemed to understand what he meant and said. 'I did still believe in the Great Beasts, but the Devourer is something completely different.'

Rollan rolled his eyes and grumbled something under his breath.

'What did you mean with that?' Lishay asked, confused.

'Long story,' Rollan and Meilin said in unison. They looked at each other for a second, then quickly looked away, blushing a little.

 **Why would her father suddenly start about that?**

'Now that's a very good question. I'm confused,' Rollan said. Lishay raised her eyebrows. 'If you would have let me continue, then you probably won't be confused anymore,' she said sceptically.

Rollan opened his mouth, closed it and finally grumbled. 'Fine, go on.'

 **'Where have they come from?' Sheyu asked. 'How can such an army get over the Wall of Zhong without having had just one guard notice?'**

'One by one,' Olvan said.

 **Meilin looked at her father. That question was burning on her lips too. 'They don't wear a uniform,' he said. 'They haven't used any violence. I think they have come in one by one, it might have taken them years.**

'See, I was right,' Olvan said, triumphantly.

'You're starting to sound like Rollan,' Meilin and Lenori said at the same time. Olvan's triumphant face faded and he grumbled something under his breath, before he gestured to Lishay to continue reading.

 **Most of them seem Zhongese, but not all of them. The organisation of this goes way above my understanding.**

'At least he doesn't brag,' Olvan muttered.

 **I would have never expected such an attack, but it is here anyway! The biggest part of our army is far away from Jano Rion, alongside the Wall. At this moment, many are on their way to Shar Liwao. But that was undoubtedly a diversion.'**

'Surprise surprise,' Rollan said.

This earned him a slap on the head from Meilin.

'What -' Rollan started but he wasn't able to finish since Lishay started reading again, probably to avoid a Reilin argument.

 **'What should we do?' General Chin asked.**

'Jump off the tower and scream: we're all gonna die!' Rollan half said/half screamed, sounding dramatically at the same time.

Everybody looked at him like he had gone crazy. Lishay decided to continue reading.

 **'Our duty,' general Teng said. With a loud voice, he spoke. 'Leave us alone.' The other soldiers left the tower. Sheyu took Lenori by the arm and was about to leave too.**

Olvan's jaw tightened, making Tarik and Finn raise their eyebrows but they didn't say anything.

 **'Not you, Greencloaks,' general Teng said with a soft growl.** **He placed a hand on Meilin's shoulder to let her know he wanted her to stay too**. **Sheyu and Lenori came closer.** **Meilin looked at her father. His face gave her an uncomfortable feeling.**

OLvan seemed a little worried..

 **She tried to suppress her fear. 'Jano Rion will fall,' he said without further ado. 'We don't have enough defenders to resist their attack. Lenori, you say that Meilin summoned the great Jhi, the living symbol of Zhong. What does is mean? What do you want to do?'**

'One question at a time,' Rollan said.

 **'I would like to bring her to our leader,' Lenori said.**

'Would like to,' Abeke whispered to Meilin. They both giggled.

 **'Jhi isn't the first of the Four Fallen who has returned the past few weeks. This war will spread throughout Erdas. We want to unite the Four Fallen and fight with them. That's our only chance.' Meilin felt her father's hand tighten around her shoulder. The general**

Rollan chuckled.

 **nodded swiftly. 'Very well. Lenori, take my daughter with you. Here it is not the right place for her. Sheyu, could you guarantee that they safely sail away from the Xin Kao Dai dock.'**

'Xin Kao Dai?' Some people said surprised.

Meilin tilted her head. 'Hey, you're right. It was the same, lol.'

'What does that mean?' Lishay, Tarik, Olvan and Lenori asked at the same time.

The Four, Kalani and Maya burst out in laughter. Finn simply raised his eyebrows at them, then shrugged at the four other adults.

When the six of them conquered their laughter, Maya said. 'I don't think that's necessarily something you have to know.' The others nodded.

'Okay. Sure,' Lishay said and she continued reading.

 **Sheyu placed a closed fist on his chest and bowed his head.**

Rollan raised his eyebrows.

 **'It would be my honour.' 'Father, I don't want to go!' Meilin said. 'Let me stay with you, please. I want to defend our city!'**

'She means she wants to die,' Rollan said, slightly sarcastically. Meilin slapped him on his head.

 **'It is not safe for you here...' 'Where am I safer than with the greatest general of Erdas?'**

Rollan's expression changed a lot through out these two sentences. First, it was surprise, then a laughter, then a little like a mister-know-it-all. 'You know-'

'No!' Was Meilin's reply.

'Okay, sorry,' Rollan said.

Before Meilin could react, Lishay continued reading.

 **'And above all,' he said, raising a hand to tell her to stop talking, 'you probably have important duties elsewhere.' He crouched down and looked at her straight. 'Meilin, go to the leader of the Greencloaks. If he says wise things and the path feels correct, help him.**

Olvan grumbled something.

 **If it does not, search for a better way.**

Meilin bit her lip.

 **And whatever happens, never forget who you are and where you're from.' 'But...' General Teng**

Rollan's face showed a slight sign of a laugh.

'Don't you dare,' Meilin threatened. Rollan immediately pulled his face into a neutral expression again.

 **shook his head. 'Do as I say.' Meilin knew the conversation was over. Her fait had been chosen. Hot tears stung in her eyes.** **She looked at the army as it stormed towards her city, and then down at the traitors fighting below her. Did she really have to go away and let her father face this danger on his own, while his army was divided and already half defeated? She looked at Jhi. The panda answered her with understanding, and maybe some compassion. Or was she just depicting the compassion in those eyes? Meilin stared at the ground. She couldn't understand how this panda was supposed to help her fight better,**

Multiple people sighed and/or raised/rolled their eyebrows/eyes.

'I know!' Meilin shouted as multiple people opened their mouth to say something. 'I was stupid.'

'The world's going to end!' Rollan said.

'Rollan, in your opinion, the world has ended for a couple times already, so if you will just shut your mouth please.' Lenori told him, voice as gentle as always yet making her meaning very clear.

Rollan's mouth was hanging wide open, and he didn't seem ready to compose himself quickly..

Lishay chuckled and continued reading.

 **and then she also had to go with the Greencloaks because of this animal. Away from her home. Away from her father. Further down, shouting was heard. A wounded soldier came up the stairs. 'They're coming! They're with too many!'**

Olvan looked a little like he would be sick soon.

 **Meilin's father nodded. 'Stop them for as long as possible.' The soldier turned around, going down again. They heard the sound of metal against metal. An animal screamed. General Chin**

Rollan didn't laugh this time.

 **walked to the edge of the stairs and drew his sword. Meilin's father made the elevator go down and gestured to a ladder which went down the wall. 'Climb down to the first tunnel. That way you should be able to go past the rebels. Get out of the city immediately.' Meilin could no longer keep her worries to herself. 'But...' Her father quit her talking with a swift gesture of his hand. 'If general Chin**

Rollan again didn't laugh but the edges of his mouth did twist upwards.

 **and I are sure that you have reached the tunnel, we will escape ourself.' He smiled assuringly at his daughter. 'I won't let some disordered bunch do something to me. You have to go now.' He clearly didn't want a discussion. Meilin no longer wanted to shame him by begging any longer or protest.**

'I don't get it,' Rollan said. 'Keep it that way,' Meilin replied.

 **Meilin looked at him. 'As you want father.' The others were already standing by the ladder. A little surprised she saw that Jhi got down without help.**

'She's a Great Beasts, she can climb!' Rollan said.

'Two things. One, she was a Great Beast. Two, now I understand why you can't climb.'

Rollan made a face but Meilin only smiled.

 **When Meilin put her foot at the upper sport, the first enemy had reached general Chin. Just before her head disappeared, she saw that general Chin and her father inched backwards, cornered by multiple rebels. She didn't say anything.**

'Why not?' Rollan asked. Of course, he was ignored.

 **If the enemy noticed she was going down, her father might be doing al of this for nothing. Maybe he could still escape. With eyes blurry from tears, Meilin joined the others in the small tunnel. Sheyu took her hand and started running.**

'That was chapter three,' Lishay said.

'Can I read next?' Tarik asked.

'Sure,' Lishay replied, handing him the book.

* * *

 **So, that was this chapter. I hope you liked it, and remember, review what you thought of it. I promise I will be updating this story more frequently too, and next is Rollan and Essix! P.S. Sorry if you don't like the punching, but I seem to have gotten a thing with it. I will try to do less of it.**


	8. Essix (1)

**Hey guys, here I am again. I know, I haven't updated as frequently as I said I would. I am so really sorry for that. But, anyway, here is the chapter.**

* * *

 **Rollan hesitated at the corner of the pharmacy, his back turned to the shop.**

'Why did you hesitate?' Meilin asked sweetly. Rollan grumbled something. Before Meilin could react, Tarik started reading again.

 **At the end of the cobbled street, two of his friend stood looking at him. Rollan tried to, with his eyes, make clear that they shouldn't put too much attention on him. The message was received and they turned around. Rollan had been an orphan since his fifth**

Some people gasped softly.

 **and he knew that stealing was something you just had to do if you wanted to remain alive. He still tried to avert it as much as possible.**

Meilin's eyes widened a little in slight surprise. Rollan saw it and a little bit of a (smug) smile came on his face.

 **He didn't mind to make all sorts of leftovers his, because they had simply been thrown away. People with money left impossibly much behind**

Someone couldn't help looking a little guilty.

 **and Rollan had figured out a lot of ways to receive those things. That was reuse, not theft.**

Rollan smiled proudly when he saw the other's faces.

 **But this problem couldn't be fixed with a little reuse. But there were no leftovers from Willow Extract. It was too expensive for that. Rollan** **and the boys**

Conor, Abeke and Meilin laughed a little.

 **had had a small stockpile of it, but that was gone. And now one of them, Digger, was badly sick. They had wasted the expensive medicine on less dangerous illnesses. If they would have known this would come, they would have saved some of it**

'But that's too late now,' Lenori whispered softly, so that nearly no one heard it.

 **but now it was too late. They would't be in such trouble if one of their friends hadn't been arrested.**

'Just like you,' Meilin said. Rollan rolled his eyes. 'That was different.' 'Definitely wasn't,' Meilin disagreed. 'You were both arrested and set in jail.' Rollan opened his mouth, then clearly thought it wasn't worth the discussion.

 **That guy could snitch anything, and live had been quiet a bit more pleasant with him close by.**

Meilin rolled her eyes and sighed softly.

 **But he had gotten greedy and started stealing more expensive things. The city guards had caught him while he was out stealing and set him in jail.**

'See, I was right,' Meilin said. Rollan grumbled something and Tarik quickly continued reading.

 **Rollan glanced over his shoulder to the pharmacy quickly. Just like all the other shops in Amaya hung, above the entrance, a banner of Essix the falcon, the protector of Amaya.**

Rollan smiled a bit.

 **His friend was really sick. He was burning with fever and it was becoming worse and worse. Without the medicine, he might even die. With his arms crossed, Rollan watched the ground angrily. He didn't like stealing, but that wasn't because he had so much respect for the law. Many scalpers had gotten rich by completely ignoring the poor. They had taken things from people who already had nothing.** **And the law protected that system.**

Multiple people shook their heads.

 **Stealing was just too dangerous. Children who were caught on stealing something small were heavily punished, especially when you were older. And above all, Rollan had a sense of honour.**

Meilin raised her eyebrows, clearly in an expression which meant: well, let's see about this.

 **His own version of it at least:**

Meilin's expression faded a little, because she smiled a bit. Rollan frowned. 'What's so funny about this?' He asked. Meilin just shook her head, biting her lip. 'Nothing,' she replied.

 **never steal from the poor, never from sick or crippled, and always try to find another solution first.**

Meilin watched Rollan with her mouth set in surprise, clearly with a little bit of new respect. 'Hadn't expected that Lady Panda?' Rollan asked, smiling smugly. 'Well, since you keep on wearing that stupid expression that you have at the moment, then I had. Otherwise, maybe I hadn't.' Rollan still smiled smugly, but a little less.

 **The other boys had teased Rollan a lot because he didn't want to steal things.**

'What is there to tease about that?' Conor asked, frowning a bit. 'Well, all my old friends would steal. It was the only way to survive, in their opinion. And I tried not to have to steal, so they thought that was strange,' Rollan answered. Conor nodded slowly, then gestured to Tarik to continue reading.

 **However much he tried to think of a way to do it, stealing from the pharmacy would be extremely difficult. The owner was known to be a very unfriendly man. His employees watched everything, and troublemakers were send to the city guards, no exception.**

Olvan shrugged and opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but closed it when he felt a hand on his left arm. He looked left, seeing Lenori, shaking her head a bit. He sighed silently. That was the moment that they both realised all the others were looking at them. Lenori immediately dropped her hand and Olvan said. 'Uhm, read on.'

 **Rollan definitely didn't feel to good for begging.**

Meilin raised her eyebrows, but a small smile crept onto her face.

 **Begging had given him a lot. Certain bakers or innkeepers didn't mind to give away old bread and other unsaleable stuff.**

Meilin raised her nose, making Rollan grin. 'Didn't expect that?' He asked. She was silent for a moment, then shook her head a little. Rollan grinned more and said. 'One point for me. How are we now?' He asked Conor.

Conor took a paper from his pocket, and, with Abeke leaning over to him to read it too, said. '36 points for Meilin, 10 points for Rollan.' Rollan opened his mouth, closed it again, opened it again and closed it again. Finally, he managed to say. 'How?'

'I'm just way better than you in this,' Meilin said. 'So say goodbye to you're little kiss.'

The others frowned. 'Wait a second. What is this about?' Tarik asked.

'Rollan and Meilin are playing a... well kind of a game. Whoever can outsmart the other in any way, or make a comment to which the other can't say something back, or make a comment to which the other has to reply in a way they don't like, scores a point. It has been going like this for a couple of days. And you heard the result at the moment.' Everyone was silent. Then Tarik simply decided to continue reading.

 **But times were difficult and it didn't seem as if the situation would get any better soon. Amaya was a young continent, a big part of it still uncultivated, and if harvesting didn't go well or if pirates robbed the merchants, the scarceness was something you could quickly feel even in a big city like Concorba. And those who were on the bottom would feel it the was no time to beg for money to buy the Willow Extract. Rollan had decided to try and steal the extract: the live of a friend was logically more important than the rules. But seeing the shop, he was afraid he would never accomplish. Did he still have to try?**

'Yes,' Rollan said. 'Otherwise I wouldn't have summoned Essix.'

'Rollan,' Meilin said. 'Yes,' he answered sweetly. 'You ruined everything. We had multiple sentences finished, and then you just have to go and say something, right!' 'Yes,' Rollan beamed. Meilin rolled her eyes and sat back into her chair with a groan. 'Read on,' she groaned.

 **Rollan had asked for help at all available places. Except for the pharmacy. It would probably not help anything, but it might still be better than the other thing. He took a deep breath**

Meilin smouldered a fit of giggles behind her hand, just like Abeke.

 **and walked inside. The owner, Eloy Valdez, stood behind the counter, wearing a white apron. His gaze was held firmly at Rollan, who always caught attention when he walked in somewhere.**

'That hasn't changed,' Meilin commented. Rollan smiled. 'I know.' Meilin simply rolled her eyes and smiled a bit.

 **Even wearing his best clothes, he was too young and shabby.**

'Nor has that changed.' This time, Rollan's smile disappeared. He scowled a little at Meilin, who simply smiled back sweetly.

 **Rollan walked straight towards the man. 'Good afternoon sir.' Rollan smiled his brightest smile.**

'The poor man,' Meilin said. Conor and Abeke laughed a bit while Rollan scowled again.

 **He knew that underneath the dirt, he was a handsome boy, with his dark tousled hair and suntanned skin, but it was a very thick layer of dirt.**

'Indeed,' Meilin said, nodding. Rollan raised his eyebrow, causing Meilin to smile sweetly at him and asking. 'Yes?' 'You know that right know, you are the one ruining everything,' he replied. Meilin was silent for a moment, then scowled and sat back in her chair.

'One point for you Rollan,' Olvan said. Rollan nodded, raising an eyebrow at Conor, who sighed but took out the paper and put a small stripe underneath Rollan's name. Rollan smiled contently.

 **'Hello,' the man suspiciously said. 'Can I help you with something?'**

'If you do it without a price, then yes,' Rollan said. 'Hasn't changed either,' Meilin said. 'And this time I'm not the one ruining it,' she added. Rollan rolled his eyes.

 **'Not me, but a friend of mine,' Rollan said. 'He is very sick. It's been three days and it's only getting worse. I'm an orphan, just like him.**

'That's only going to make things worse,' Meilin said. Rollan sighed and said. 'Now you are ruining it again, not me.' Meilin rolled her eyes.

 **He needs Willow Extract. I don't have money, but I can do things, help to clean, whatever you want.'**

'I bet he doesn't want it,' Abeke and Conor said at the same time. They looked at each other, smiling and blushing a bit. Rollan winked at Conor, which made him blush more.

 **Eloy Valdez immediately had the I-wish-I-could-help-you-face on, the one Rollan had seen quiet so often. 'That is an expensive medicine. And it is difficult to come across, which makes it even more expensive. 'I can work very hard.'**

'And now you suddenly can!' Olvan exclaimed. Rollan tried to make himself invisible in his chair.

 **Eloy Valdez sucked some air in through his teeth. 'You know these are bad times.**

'So?' Rollan asked. 'Rollan, you're talking to a book,' Meilin said. 'So?' Meilin sighed and shook her head, rolling her eyes at the same time.

 **My two assistants do everything. I don't have extra things for you to do and there are enough people with a diploma who would do anything to work here.**

'Just like Rollan,' Conor said. No one got what he meant with that.

 **I'm sorry.'**

'No you're not,' Rollan said. 'What else could he have said?' Lishay asked. Rollan frowned. 'I don't know.' 'Exactly, so keep your mouth shut or otherwise we really have to ducktape it, she said. Rollan shut his mouth, sinking into his chair a little. Meilin nodded while Lishay winked at her.

 **Rollan's cheeks burned with shame,**

'Oh, this is going to be good,' Meilin said. 'Does seriously no one like me anymore? Rollan pouted. Tarik gave him a small smile. 'Sorry, I guess no one does.' 'Not even you!?' Rollan sighed and slumped back into his chair.

 **but his friend needed him**.

'Okay, that's pretty sweet, maybe we should forgive him,' Lishay said, smiling a little. Tarik nodded, and they both looked at Meilin. She shook her head. Lishay raised her eyebrows, which made Meilin sigh but she did say. 'Fine. I forgive you Rollan. For now.'

'Okay, what was this actually all about?' Lenori asked. 'Yes, that was what I was wondering,' Olvan added.

Meilin and Abeke shared an amused smile before Meilin said. 'Well, nothing, to be very truthful. It was just funny to tease Bird Brain.' 'Aha,' Olvan said. Tarik continued reading.

 **'Maybe you can still come up with something? To save a dying boy?' '** **You want charity,' Eloy Valdez said with squinted eyes. 'I am afraid that we have a strict no-charity here.**

'I still don't get why he used "I am afraid" here,' Rollan said.

 **Medicines are expensive. If that friend of yours was the only poor person in this city, I would help him.**

'I wonder if he really meant that? Rollan wondered out loud. 'Doesn't matter. Read on,' Meilin said.

 **But there are a lot of people who have no money and need things. If I give you a free medicine, I would have to give them one too. And then I would be bankrupt within a week.'**

'He's got a point,' Olvan said. Everybody looked at him like he had gone crazy. 'What?'

'That was rude. Very rude. And egoistical,' Lenori stated. Olvan looked at her, hurt. Lenori looked away, muttering. 'Read on Tarik.'

 **'I won't tell a soul how I got it,' Rollan promised.**

'Why don't I trust you?' Meilin asked. Everyone laughed, Lenori a little bit, she obviously did feel sorry for saying what she had to Olvan.

 **'You might not be able to help everyone, but you can help him. Please sir. He has nobody.' 'Free Willow Extract will not be remained a secret,' mister Valdez said. 'And your story might be true, but other lie. How am I supposed to know who lies and who doesn't? I can't help you. Goodbye.' Rollan had been send away. What should he do? If he came back now, mister Valdez would definitely keep his eye on him.** **Stealing the extract was no longer an option.**

'But I wonder, how did you get in jail then?' Meilin asked, a small smile around her lips. 'Well, because a friend of mine stole but everyone thought I stole it so they blamed me of course. Or something like that at least.' 'Sure,' Lishay and Meilin said at the same time. They smiled and Tarik started reading again.

 **'How would you like it if you were lying in an alley, sick, homeless, while no one cared about you?'**

That comment seemed to make people think or cringe a little.

 **'That's why I don't live on the streets,' mister Valdez said.**

'That's simple for him to say,' Lenori commented **.**

 **'That's why I have worked hard to achieve this, and why I don't plan to give it up. The worries of a beggar are not of my concern.'**

'That man has got no heart,' Lenori said, a quiet fierce look in her eyes.

 **'Hard work doesn't always keep you off the streets,' Rollan said, getting more and more frustrated. 'And it won't keep you off the streets forever. What if your shop burns down?'**

'Is that a threat?' Olvan asked. 'If it is, than he isn't as good as he wanted us to believe,' Meilin said. 'You haven't seriously burned down the shop, right?' Conor asked. 'If he did, the man got what he deserved,' Lenori said. Everyone looked at her for a second. 'What?' She asked as a slight blush crept up her face.

'I have the idea these books are going to change some things,' Rollan said. Meilin snorted a little. 'Well, if we keep on going in this speed, we won't even finish the first book in time to read the second book.' 'Right,' Tarik said, continuing with reading.

 **Rollan raised his hands. 'No! I'm just saying that anyone can have bad luck.' 'Aldo!' Mister Valdez said. 'This boy can't find the door.'**

'He still can't at times,' Meilin said. Every laughed.

 **It was a lost cause. Rollan decided that it was useless to try and persuade with nice words. 'And you can't find your heart.**

Some people chuckled.

 **I hope that you get something incurable. Except for an old age then.' A huge man with rolled up sleeved over his strong, hairy arms came towards him from an area behind the shop. He walked straight towards Rollan. Behind him, Smarty appeared.**

'What?' Multiple people questioned. 'You'll see.'

 **How did he come in? Through the back door? What was he doing?**

'Stealing something,' Conor said. 'And let me guess, he stole it but they blamed you.' Rollan nodded. 'Exactly.'

Meilin sighed deeply. 'What?' Conor and Rollan asked her at the same time. 'Nothing. I'm just afraid that every boy or man here is crazy. Well, except for Finn, I guess, maybe.' The others stared at her for a moment, then Tarik started reading again.

 **His nickname was a joke, not a compliment. They could both get caught! Rollan tried not to stare at his friend. Instead, he watched the man who came towards him. 'Are you deaf?' Aldo roared. 'Leave.' Rollan slowly went for the door and tried not to walk too fast. He had to leave, but if he ran away, Smarty would definitely be caught.** **Aldo came closer, grabbed Rollan in his neck**

Rollan rubbed his neck.

 **and tramped towards the door with him. 'I don't want to see you again,' the big man warned.**

'I bet he will,' Meilin said.

 **'Aldo!' Eloy Valdez called out. Rollan looked back and saw Smarty, racing to the back door. 'He has got some Willow Extract!' Eloy Valdez shouted. 'Santos!' Aldo dragged Rollan towards the back door. 'If you don't come back immediately, your friend will have an immense problem!' He roared. Smarty didn't even look back.**

'Wow. That was sarcastically,' Rollan said.

 **By the time Aldo reached the back door, Smarty had disappeared. 'Santos!' Eloy Valdez shouted as he came towards them. 'Where is Santos?'**

'Disappeared,' Rollan said, acting it put creepily. 'Rollan. Quit,' Meilin said. Rollan pouted a little. 'You are unfair.' 'You are unlogical.' 'Am not!' 'Are.' Tarik started reading again, making them stop.

 **'He as supposed to bring a message,' Aldo said. Eloy Valdez looked at Rollan angrily. 'All that little talk about wanting to work for me to pay for that stuff - you were just tricking me so that little friend of yours could creep in. That is low, even for dirt like you.' '** **I had no idea about that,' Rollan said desperately.**

'I wish I could have been there,' Meilin said.

 **'Stop it, boy,' Aldo said. 'You helped steal the extract, so you shall pay for it.' Rollan kicked against Aldo's knee, but the big man didn't even cringe. Rollan felt a strong hand in his neck. 'Your next appointment will be with the Militia,' Eloy Valdez said.**

'And he got in jail,' Meilin said.

 **Rollan knew that sputtering wouldn't help. At least Digger would get his medicine.**

'Digger? You have got strange nicknames,' Conor said. Rollan smiled a little. 'I know.'

* * *

 **Okay. This was the first part of Rollan's chapter. I hope you did like it, even though I made you all wait very long for this chapter. And maybe, could you review. Pretty please. Thanks a lot already. So this time I am not going to promise I will update the next chapter soon, but I am going to try to get it up there before 2017. Bye.**


	9. Essix (2)

Hey **guys, here I am with the second part of Rollan and Essix. I hope you'll like it.**

* * *

 **The Militia owned a couple of cells in the basement of their headquarters. Mould lined the humid walls**

People grimaced.

 **and on the stone-floor, which had changed colour throughout the years, old, dusty straw lay. The cells were separated by iron bars, so the prisoners could see each other. Rollan sat on a half "rotten" reed mat.**

Everyone grinned.

 **In the other cells sat three other man. One seemed sick and emaciated, another had been sleeping ever since Rollan arrived and the third was someone Rollan would usually pass with a wide arc.** **That man must be here for a terrible crime.**

'Just like you,' Meilin said. Rollan rolled his eyes. 'I was-' 'Definitely there for a terrible crime,' Meilin said. Rollan sighed and groaned. 'I give up.'

 **One of the guards had told Rollan that he would be judged the next day. He was so young that he maybe would be send back to the orphanage,**

Rollan shuddered.

 **and** **even** **at the thought of it shudders went down his back. The orphanage of Concorba was one of the worst places in the city. The director had everything, because he barely gave the children anything to eat, fagged them like slaves, let them wear clothes which made them look like beggars and he never "spoiled" money on things like medicines.**

'Is it always like that?' Meilin asked, in a little bit of a small voice. Rollan shrugged. 'I guess.' Silence.

 **Rollan hadn't walked away for nothing. He thought he was maybe rather in prison.**

'Was it really that bad?' Lenori asked. Rollan nodded. She frowned, thinking about it.

 **A door opened and heavy boots stomped down the stairs. Was a new prisoner being brought in?**

'Another?' Meilin asked. 'How many prisoners do you want to have?' 'Many,' Rollan said. 'But none are as handsome as me.' Meilin rolled her eyes. 'Ha. Ha. Dream on, Bird Brain.'

 **Rollan got up to be able to see it better. No, the guard was alone. It was a heavy man, carrying a big book in his hand, and he came to Rollan's cell. 'How old are you?' Was it a catch-question?**

'A what?' 'A catch-question,' Rollan said. 'Did your fancy tutors never teach you that word?' 'No,' Meilin said. 'They didn't.'

 **Could he be better older or younger? Rollan didn't know, so he answered honestly. 'Next month I will be twelve.' The man made a note. 'You're an orphan.'**

'Seriously,' Rollan muttered.

 **'I'm actually a lost prince. If you bring me back to Eura my father will reward you richly.'**

Meilin, Abeke and Conor started laughing, while the others smiled. Rollan rolled his eyes but a smile tugged at his lips. 'Yeah, we know. It is hilarious. Can we read on know?'

Tarik started reading again.

 **'When did you walk away from the orphanage?' Rollan thought about it, but didn't see why he should lie. 'When I was nine.' 'Did you have the Nectar?' That question surprised him a little.**

'Why?' Lenori and Olvan asked at the same time. The both blushed a little.

Rollan smirked. 'Why did you blush?' Lenori blushed more, while Olvan replied. 'That doesn't matter.'

'It does.'

'I'll just read on,' Tarik said as Olvan opened his mouth again.

 **'No.' 'You know what happens when you don't drink the Nectar?' 'Then a natural bond can come forth.'**

'A dangerous bond,' Lenori softly said. Rollan frowned a little and nodded.

 **'Indeed. According to the laws of the city it is to happen that three months after your eleventh birthday you are to drink the Nectar.' 'Well, then I guess it's good that I'm already in this cell then.**

'You have a terrible taste of sarcasm you know,' Maya said. Rollan pouted. 'Everybody hates me!' He half said, half shouted out.

'That's not true. We don't hate you,' Tarik said.

 **Shall I tell you something? You should make a law which states that eleven-year olds shouldn't be allowed to die because they don't have medicines.' The guard cleared his throat a little impatiently. 'This isn't a game boy.'**

'Rollan does think everything is a game,' Meilin said, nodding in agreement. Rollan groaned **.**

 **'Does it sound like a game?' Rollan asked. 'Have you ever played dying-alone-from-a-fever-because-willow-extract-is-too-expensive?**

'That is one strange game Rollan,' Olvan said. Rollan's response? He groaned again.

 **Just put the fact that I have't drunk the Nectar on the list of crimes.**

'Can I have that list?' Meilin asked, a little too eagerly. Rollan again groaned.

 **Oh, and just to make that clear: no one ever offered it to me.' 'The Militia gives Nectar to all children eleven and older who haven't drunk it yet.' 'You deserve a medal,' Rollan said.**

Everyone laughed.

 **The guard raised a finger. 'If you are able to summon a spirit animal, it will happen when you are twelve or thirteen. But without the Nectar that can be very dangerous. Some people turn crazy, other sick. Some drop down dead at the moment. Others aren't bothered at all.'**

'He does know something about it,' Lenori said.

 **'But with the Nectar it always goes well,' Rollan said.**

'Except if you are secretly given the Bile,' Meilin muttered.

 **'The Great Beasts might not have done a lot for us, but for the Nectar of Ninani we will always be grateful. But to profit from it you do have to use it.' Rollan snorted.**

Rollan suddenly started laughing, causing everyone to look at him.

 **'How big is the chance I will summon a spirit animal? Really very small, say it yourself.'**

'Well, I did. Which means that since the chance was really very small, it was something unique, which means I am unique.'

'That was the strangest argumentation I have ever heard,' Meilin said. 'Unique, remember,' Rollan said. Meilin sighed and rolled her eyes.

 **The guard didn't listen.**

'And that was lucky for me,' Rollan said. No one responded.

 **'I know a Greencloak who fixes orphan problems.**

'Like I am a problem?' Rollan said, looking insulted. 'You are a problem,' Meilin said.

 **I'll send her.' The guard turned around and went backup the stairs. Rollan stretched himself, turned his upper body from left to right and his hands to the roof.** **'I hadn't expected we would get a show today,' the meagre man in the furthest cell from him said. 'What do you think you will get?' 'Nothing,' Rollan said.**

'And I was so wrong,' Rollan said joyfully, smiling brightly. 'Rollan. Quit it,' Meilin said. Rollan continued smiling stupidly. 'Otherwise I'm going to slap you,' she said. That did shut Rollan up.

 **'That's exactly what I thought,' the man said. 'Thought wrong. I summoned a hedgehog.' 'Are you a Greencloak?' Rollan asked surprised. The meagre man snorted. His expression was blank and he seemed tired and dull. 'Do you see a cloak somewhere? My animal died.**

Everyone thought about how it would be to have to live without your spirit animal. Lishay in particular got a pained expression on her face, clearly thinking about Zhosur. Tarik took her hand in his. Not even Rollan said something about it.

 **And now that it isn't here anymore... I would have rather lost an arm or a leg.'**

 **An hour or two later the guard returned with a couple of guards wearing uniforms and a young Greencloak who seemed about eighteen years old. Her face wasn't pretty, but it was friendly.**

'What does that matter?' Meilin asked. Rollan looked at her. 'Well, because...' He shrugged.

'Exactly. There is no valid reason,' Meilin told him. 'Beauty on the outside isn't the most important thing in the world.'

 **The guard opened the door of the cel and gestured that Rollan should come out.**

'I like this sentence,' Meilin said. 'Why?' Rollan asked. 'Because I like it,' Meilin replied. 'That's not a reason.' 'It is.' 'Isn't.' 'Quit it!' Lishay said. That shut both of them up. 'Read on Tarik,' Lishay said.

 **One of the guards held a cage with in it a rat. Rollan stepped out of the cell and nodded to the rat.**

Everyone burst into laughter. Rollan groaned. 'Why was I so stupid back then?' 'That hasn't really changed,' Meilin said, evolving another round of laughter from her, Conor and Abeke.

When everything was quiet again, Tarik started reading.

 **'Is that a joke?'**

'Probably,' Meilin said, still half laughing.

'I meant the nodding in a different way though,' Rollan said. 'It was an indication that it was there... wait that sounded wrong.'

Everybody was laughing at that again, and Rollan just dropped his head back into his chair, groaning up at the skies.

 **'They say that a bond is easier created if there are animals there,' the guard said smirking a little.**

Meilin and Abeke seemed to get it and they started laughing. Everyone else who got it smirked at Rollan, who sunk deeply back into his chair.

 **'We caught him a couple years ago. He is our mascot.'**

Everyone laughed now.

 **'Very funny,' Rollan said laconically. 'Do we have to search for some spiders?**

Olvan shuddered.

 **A cockroach maybe?'**

Some people shuddered. 'Rollan, that would be really gross,' Maya said. Rollan's reply was a grunt.

 **'A bond is never created with insects,' the Greencloak said. 'although there are some cases in which spider-like creatures have been summoned.'**

'That would be my worst nightmare,' Olvan muttered. Lenori gave him a comforting smile.

 **'I'd bet a piece of copper that he won't summon anything,' the prisoner who Rollan had labeled as dangerous said.**

'Well, I guess you got one thing right,' Conor said. 'You'd better not have bet anything,' Meilin said. 'Of course I haven't,' Rollan said, smiling sweetly at her. She squinted, then shook her head. 'I give up.'

'On trying to resist my charm?' Rollan suggested.

Meilin actually blushed a little and had to force herself to stop. 'No,' she stated, but it came out not as strong as she would have wanted.

Some people smirked up at her.

 **The patted his pockets. 'Two pieces actually.' He took them from it. 'Anyone.' Nobody took it.**

'Good,' some people muttered. (Three guesses who.)

 **'Shall we?' Rollan suggested, to break the awkward silence.**.

 **For some children the ceremony was an entire special occasion. They wore their best clothes,** **their family was there,**

Rollan sighed softly.

 **people came to watch it, speeches were held and bits of food and drinks were offered. Rollan stood in a dirty prison with a rat, the guards and the other prisoners. He wanted to have it done as soon as possible.**

'I know how you feel,' Conor said. Rollan raised an eyebrow a little. 'You at least weren't in a prison,' he said. No one commented on that.

 **The Greencloak took a simply flask. She opened it and handed it to him. 'One sip is enough.' 'Nice speech,' Rollan said as he took the flask. 'You're wasting your talent in such dungeons. I think you're ready to start working above the ground.'**

Meilin slapped him. 'Ow! I thought you were done with this,' Rollan said, his voice quiet loud and quiet high. 'Men are such babies,' Meilin sighed. Rollan pouted a bit.

 **He took a sip. There was an inn were he sometimes got cinnamon-bread with sugar, his favourite little extra. The Nectar tasted a little the same, only it was liquid. Rollan wiped his lips. When the Greencloak wanted to take back her flask, Rollan started shaking. Sparks flew through his body.**

'Sparks fly between us, Rollan whispered to Meilin. She sighed and turned her eyes up. 'Help me, she whispered quietly.

 **What was happening? He wanted to give the flask back, but his arms were too weak.** **The Greencloak took the flask and Rollan fell on his knees. 'Is this normal?' He sputtered. The entire prison rumbled and the hall became dark. Or was it that he didn't see anything anymore? A blinding light appeared which kept itself there for a moment, and then disappeared. A falcon had come to them, big and strong, with golden-brown feathers and a white flecked chest. With beating wings the bird of prey jumped on Rollan's shoulder. When the claws boar themselves in his skins lightly, the feeling stopped.** **The others watched in awe. For a slight moment, Rollan seemed to have a very good vision. He saw the holes in the stone floor and walls. He saw a spider between a crack in the wall**

Olvan shuddered again.

 **and felt the people's surprise stronger than usual. Then everything was suddenly back to normal. 'It's a falcon!' The Greencloak said in surprise. 'A falcon... with amber-coloured eyes.' 'She is a falcon,' Rollan said. 'It's a girl.' 'How do you know that?' The Greencloak asked,**

'How about the fact that that is Essix and Essix is a girl. Well, unless something really strange happened,' Rollan said, frowning deeply.

 **Rollan was silent for a moment. 'I just know.' 'Yes, it must be a female,' the Greencloak muttered. She seemed to awake from some sort of trance and looked at Rollan inquisitively. 'How is this possible? Who are you?' 'I'm just a simple orphan.'**

Rollan groaned while Meilin, Conor and Abeke started laughing. 'Finally, he admits he's simple,' Conor said, laughing.

'He always says he's very special,' Abeke explained when the others looked at them questioningly. 'Of course, he isn't, but we let him think,' Meilin added. Rollan looked at her. 'I know you love me.' Meilin scowled at him, but through her slight blush it wasn't very convincing.

 **'There is more going on here,' she murmured, half to herself. 'I'm also a criminal,' Rollan said helpfully.**

'What's helpful about that?' Meilin asked. Rollan sank into his chair again.

 **'The worst type actually.' 'Which type is that?' The Greencloak asked.**

This time Meilin groaned. 'I'm feeling something bad coming.'

 **'The type which is caught,' Rollan answered. The Greencloak looked at the guard. 'Put him back in his cel.**

'Now how nice,' Rollan said. 'She did the best,' some people said at the same time.' Rollan looked at all of them in turn, then said. 'I am not feeling loved.'

 **I'll be back soon.' 'Does that bird have to be with him?' The guard asked.**

'I hope for Essix' sake not,' Meilin said.

 **'Of course,'**

'Poor Essix. Definitely poor Essix,' Meilin said.

 **the Greencloak said. 'It's his spirit animal.' 'This must be my lucky day,' the louche prisoner muttered. 'Nobody took my bet. I can keep my coins.'**

Meilin groaned. 'You're all the same.' 'Who're all the same?' Rollan asked. 'No one,' Meilin said. Rollan frowned. Meilin high-fived with Abeke. 'And what was that for?' Rollan asked. 'Nothing,' Abeke and Meilin said at the same time.

 **Sooo? What did you all think of this chapter? This is the second part of Rollan and Essix, and there will be a third part, (unlike the other chapters). But anyway, review what you thought of it please, I would really appreciate that. Bye!**


	10. Essix (3)

**Hey guys, here I am with the third part of Rollan and Essix. I hope you'll like it.**

* * *

 **Not long after that the guard brought a man to Rollan's cel.**

Rollan groaned.

 **The stranger seemed like some sort of outlandish noble. He wore high boots, leather armguards, a beautiful sword and a embroidered blue cloak which probably cost more than a span of horses.**

Everyone laughed a little.

 **The man had a neatly cut goatee**

At that moment everyone got an idea who the man was and the atmosphere turned quiet a bit darker.

 **and he looked at Rollan with interest. 'Do you want to leave Rollan?' The man asked. 'Maybe I'll miss that mat which itches whenever you touch it or the black stuff behind the bars,' Rollan said. 'Sometimes you only realise how beautiful live is when it's over.'**

Meilin impulsively leaned towards Rollan, but jerked back quickly. Abeke caught Meilin's eye and winked, causing Meilin to blush.

 **The man smiled, but with a bit of mockery. 'Why isn't your cloak green?' Rollan asked.**

'That was a very observant question. And a very good one,' Lenori said. Rollan smiled. 'See, I am not stupid.' No one replied, and Rollan took that as a good sign.

 **'I am Duke Zerif,'**

Everyone showed some sign of negativity to the book. 'You know how I realised his first name is "Duke",' Meilin said, frowning angrily. 'What arrogance.'

 **the man said. 'I work together**

'With the Greencloaks, sure,' Olvan said, an angry look in his eyes.

 **with the Greencloaks,** **but I am not one.**

'At least he didn't say he was,' Olvan said, a quiet murderous look on his face.

 **I do something with cases like you.'**

'Also known as; summoners of legendary spirit animals,' Rollan said. The other three nodded.

 **'Cases like me?' Zerif threw a look at the guard. 'We can better continue this talk outside. I have paid for your bail.'**

'That was the one kind of good thing he did. He paid, so we didn't have to pay,' Olvan said. 'You would have paid right?' Meilin said, quiet an angry look on her face. Olvan nodded quickly, causing the others to snicker.

 **'Fine,' Rollan said. The guard opened the cel door. Rollan stepped outside, with the bird on his shoulder, and walked with away Zerif, in silence, not even glancing at the other prisoners once. What did this man want from him?**

'A very good question,' Abeke murmured. Rollan shot her a sympathetic glance.

 **When they were back on the streets again, Zerif looked at him. 'That is an amazing bird.' 'Thanks,' Rollan muttered. 'And now?'**

'Now I leave you,' Rollan said.

 **'Today your new live starts,' Zerif said. 'We have a lot to talk about.'**

'We had absolutely nothing to talk about, still haven't and will never,' Rollan grumbled.

 **'Just because my bail is paid doesn't mean that the indictment has disappeared. What about Mister Valdez?' 'The indictment will disappear. Let me handle that.' Rollan nodded quickly. 'And the girl who gave me the Nectar? Where is she now?' Zerif grinned arrogantly.**

Rollan clenched his jaw.

 **'This is too much for her knowledge. She is no longer responsible for you. Come.'**

'I am so freaking definitely not coming with you,' Rollan muttered.

 **The falcon gave him with her claws a painful tweak in Rollan's shoulder. Despite the weight Rollan had nearly forgotten she sat there. Because of the moment she had tweaked him and the way Zerif talked about the girl Rollan got a negative premonition. 'Is she okay?' Did something like appreciation creep into the smile of Zerif? 'Oh, probably.'** **He lied and Rollan was sure of it.**

'I'll make sure this counts during his trial,' Olvan said darkly.

 **Zerif even seemed impressed by the fact that Rollan didn't trust him. Rollan was completely positively sure that Zerof had done something to the girl. Who was this man?**

'The enemy,' Rollan muttered.

 **Zerif quickly took him across the street. 'Where are we going?' Rollan asked. 'To a place where we can talk quietly. And then far from here, if you want. Have you ever wanted to travel the world? With your bird that is possible.**

'I would like to travel the world, and I did, only not with you,' Rollan said. 'You're talking to a book again, Rollan. But because at the moment it is Zerif I will let you do it and not proclaim you crazy,' Meilin said. Rollan smiled a little. 'Thank you Lady Panda.'

 **The falcon screeched so loudly that it hurt Rollan's ears. Zerif's eyes flew from the bird to Rollan, and his smile died a little.**

'I wish Essix would have made a meal out of him,' Rollan said. 'It would have spared us from a lot of disasters.'

 **'She doesn't like you,' Rollan realised. 'She's just trying out her call,' Zerif replied. 'I am not the enemy.'**

'Sure,' multiple people snorted.

 **Rollan would bet two chunks of copper that he was lying.**

'No you don't,' Meilin said. 'I will never go out with you if you have ever bet money on something.' She realised what she had said, and blushed a deep, deep red. 'I knew she loved me,' Rollan said, contently leaning back into his chair.

 **Zerif sounded relaxed but Rollan was sure he just acted that. And he wore a scarily big sword. 'What is that woman over there doing?' Rollan asked and he pointed to the other side of the street. When Zerif turned around to look, Rollan ran away.**

'That is the worst excuse I have ever heard someone come up with. And then I am including Tarik's old excuses,' Lishay said.

'Tarik's old excuses?' Meilin and Abeke repeated, looking at each other, smiles lighting up their faces. Tarik groaned. 'You are not telling them,' he said. 'She so is,' Meilin and Abeke said.

Tarik quickly continue reading.

 **They had just passed a alley and he ran back and shot into it. Halfway in it he looked back and saw Zerif coming after him. The man had pulled up his sleeves and a dog-like creature jumped in front of him, running quickly. What was that? A coyote?**

'I'm sorry Rollan, but that's a miss,' Olvan said. Rollan groaned slightly. 'I know, it's a jackal. That doesn't even matter. By the way, I didn't really have time to think if it was a jackal or a coyote or something else. I was trying not to get eaten.'

 **Rollan had hoped that the stranger would feel to good to come chasing after him. Supposedly not. But the coyote did show that Zerif was marked.**

'I highly doubt if marked is the right word,' Lenori murmured.

 **Maybe he was a Greencloak after all?**

'And where would his green cloak be?' Olvan asked, looking quiet angry. Rollan shrunk back into his chair. 'Sorry. I didn't know back then.' Lenori placed a calming hand on Olvan's arm, a calming look on her face. Tarik continued reading again.

 **That didn't take away that both Rollan and the bird**

'Where is Essix actually?' Meilin asked. Rollan shrugged. 'Flying, I think. I wasn't really thinking about that, I was escaping.' 'We know,' Lishay told him. 'You've said that before.'

 **He had to get away from this guy, and quickly too. Rollan had escaped through narrow alleys more often.**

'Really? Why?' Meilin asked, a curious undertone in her voice. Rollan gulped a little when he saw everyone's faces. 'That's none of your business. Continue reading.' Tarik shook his head, smiling a little, but did continue.

 **He ran as fast as he could and extended his hands to topple crates and rubbish bins into the path of his pursuers. In spite of his efforts, he could hear them gaining. Visions of coyote teeth and the thought if Zerif's expensive sword**

'Why so specifically expensive?' Meilin asked. 'Well, the sword looked expensive so I just used that word,' Rollan said. Meilin raised her eyebrows. 'What does it even matter?' Rollan asked. 'Nothing,' Meilin said calmly. 'Just curious.'

Abeke and Conor looked at each other, and chuckled under their breath. 'Why oh why doesn't Reilin realise they exist?' Abeke softly said to him. Conor smiled, and Rollan suddenly said. 'Why doesn't Coneke realise they exist?' Conor and Abeke blushed.

'You could tell us what you're talking about,' Tarik commented. The Four looked at each other, shaking their head, laughing a little. 'This is a strict non-adult thing,' Rollan said.

So Tarik just continued reading.

 **impelled him to run faster. Rounding a corner, Rollan raced into another alley. He passed an occasional door, not daring to try it in case it was locked, or that whoever lay beyond might not aid him. He had learned the hard way that an orphan in flight had few friends.**

That turned a few eyebrows up and a few smirks turned to Rollan, who looked up at the sky. 'Someone please help me,' he muttered.

 **He glanced up, looking for a way up to the rooftops,**

'Up the rooftops?' Meilin asked. Rollan nodded, smirking slightly. 'You go under the ground. I go up the rooftop. Must be a spirit animal thing.' 'What does a panda have to do underground?' Meilin and Lenori asked at the same time. 'I don't know... maybe... something,' Rollan stuttered. Meilin rolled her eyes, but there was a playful twinkle in them.

 **but there was nothing in view. The man and the coyote kept gaining.**

'It's still a jackal,' Lenori murmured.

 **Ahead on the left, Rollan saw a fence between buildings.**

'Don't tell me he's going to jump over it?' Meilin said/asked. No one replied to her.

 **He jumped, grabbed the splintery top**

Rollan looked at his hands with a slight frown. 'There's nothing wrong with your dear hands,' Lishay said teasingly. 'I'm sure they'll live.' Rollan made a face, but dropped his hands beside his chair dramatically.

 **of it, and kicked one leg over. With a snarl, the coyote leaped for his dangling leg. Teeth tore through his pant leg and scraped his skin,**

Some people grimaced slightly, as if having experience with jackal teeth.

 **nearly yanking him from the wall. 'Come down from there!' Zerif ordered,**

'Yeah, like I would ever do that?' Rollan commented.

 **racing forward with his sword drawn. Rollan tolled over the top of the fence and fell into a weedy lot with a shanty in one corner. A ragged man glared at him unwelcomingly from the shadows. Springing to his feet, Rollan dashed across the lot. As he approached the fence on the other side' Rollan glanced back.**

'Waste of your time,' Meilin said. Rollan groaned. 'Why is it you always groan as a reply?' Meilin asked. Rollan shrugged. 'No idea. I like it. Just like you.' Meilin only semi-glared at him.

 **The coyote streaked across the lot towards him, but there was no sign of Zerif. Had he tossed his spirit animal over the fence?**

That erupted some laughter.

 **Rollan scanned the scraggly ground ahead as he ran for something to use as a weapon but saw nothing.**

'They probably don't have tissues there,' Meilin said. Rollan smirked. 'No my Lady Panda. Not in such scraggy lots. I'm sorry.' Conor and Abeke starting laughing at the (ridiculous) conversation.

 **The coyote was closing in. He knew he would barely win the race to the fence, no way would he get up and over without getting mauled.**

Some people chuckled.

 **When Rollan reached the fence,**

'Oh my,' Meilin said. 'Worried about me my dear? You don't have to worry.'

 **he jumped and grabbed the top with both hands as if he meant to climb, then turned in midair to kick the coyote springing at him square in the muzzle.**

Everyone laughed.

 **The blow connected cleanly,**

'Impressed?' Rollan asked Meilin. She raised her eyebrows. 'No.' Rollan's expression changed to "hurt".

'He's hurt Meilin. Maybe you should give him a little kiss,' Lishay suggested, winking. 'Nah. Let him be hurt,' Meilin said.

Everyone laughed at her tone and Rollan's expression, which had lit up and then changed to "hurt" again.

 **and the coyote hit the ground with a yelp. Rollan was up the fence and over before the animal had recovered. The alley he landed in was wider. As he debated which direction to go, Zerif shot around a far corner, running with superhuman speed. Rollan couldn't run half as fast as Zerif was moving. Zerif had gone around most of the block in the time it had taken Rollan to cross the lot. Rollan had heard stories about the powers the Marked**

'He isn't Marked,' Olvan muttered.

 **could receive from their bonds. How could he escape from someone like that? He turned and ran the opposite way. Racing around another corner, Rollan found himself sprinting toward a large man**

'Oh no,' Rollan exclaimed.

 **in a forest-green cloak astride a moose.**

Smiles, some genuine, some less.

 **The moose barrelled toward him, its massive antlers**

Olvan looked proud.

 **spanning almost the full width of the alley. The grey-haired man astride it**

Olvan raised his eyebrows at Rollan, who smirked a little. 'My hair happens to be not completely grey,' Olvan said. 'Well...' Rollan started, but stopped after a death glare given to him by Olvan.

 **had a thick build and a face framed by a bristly beard. He clutched a mace in one hand.**

This time, people laughed. 'What?' Olvan inquired, as if he didn't know what they were thinking. 'Remember that time during the war when you lost it? Or should I say those times?' Lenori said playfully. Olvan grumbled something, but didn't seem very angry.

'If that isn't Lenvan than I'm Uraza,' Abeke muttered to Meilin. Meilin nodded. 'If anybody else would have said that he would have gotten angry at them,' she whispered.

Olvan only glared at them all.

 **A mail shirt dangled under his cloak. 'Out of my way, boy!' The Greencloak bellowed. Lunging sideways, Rollan flattened himself against the wall of the alley as the moose charged past. He heard a shriek above him and the scrape of talons on metal as his bird landed on the roof.**

'See. I was right that Essix had taken flight,' Rollan said. 'She could have helped me though.'

 **Zerif and the coyote bolted around the corner, skidding to a halt when they saw the on oncoming moose.**

That erupted some laughter, except for Olvan and Rollan. 'What?' Olvan asked. 'Well, the fact that Zerif and his jackal stopped for the moose,' Meilin said. Olvan rolled his eyes and sighed while Rollan laughed a little.

 **The Greencloak gave a battle cry and raised his mace. Zerif shouldered through the first door he reached,**

'See. This time he does run from me,' Olvan said, looking around daring anyone to disagree with him. 'Yes. You're right,' Lenori said, a small smile of amusement on her face however. Olvan sighed. 'Oh seriously. What is this? It's not funny.'

Everyone smiled very amusedly. 'We've teased him enough haven't we?' Lenori asked. Rollan shook his head. 'I don't think so. You're getting soft.'

'At least she's nice,' Olvan said. Everyone looked at him. 'I mean... you know perfectly well what I mean!' He said as a slight blush threatened to creep up his cheeks. Tarik nodded, but did continue reading.

 **probably the back entrance to some business.**

'Mr. Valdez',' Rollan said, chuckling.

 **The Greencloak paused for a moment, as of about to give chase,**

Everyone laughed. 'How did you want to follow Zerif into a shop with a moose?' Conor asked, still half laughing. Olvan shrugged. 'I have no idea. But that happened more than a year ago and can we just continue reading? Otherwise we will never finish this book.' Tarik nodded and continued.

 **before he rode back to Rollan. 'What name did he give you?' He barked.**

Laughter again. 'You know you don't have a wolf or dog as a spirit animal right?' Conor said playfully. Olvan just shook his head, sighing deeply.

Lenori said. 'I think we have teased him enough, don't you?' Meilin smiled. 'Why? Don't like it that we tease... him?' Lenori blushed a little when she understood what Meilin meant. Meilin gestured to Tarik to continue reading, which he did.

 **'That guy? Zerif." 'That much was true. Do you know him?' 'I just met him. He bailed me out of jail.'**

'I wonder what that made Olvan think about Rollan?' Meilin whispered to Abeke, who nodded, smiling.

 **The man dismounted. 'What did he tell you?' 'Not much,' Rollan said. 'He wanted to take me away." 'I expect he did,' the man said. 'We call Zerif "the jackal" after his spirit animal, a cunning creature native to Nilo. He works for out archenemy, the Devourer.**

'I bet that set Rollan thinking,' Meilin whispered to Abeke, who again nodded, smiling a little.

 **'The Devourer?' Rollan said. It seemed so improbable he almost choked.**

That evolved a round of laughter. Rollan just rolled his eyes at the others.

 **'Are you serious? Who are you?' 'My name is Olvan.' Rollan glanced at the huge moose and back again. No way. It couldn't be.**

'Never met someone that important Rollan?' Meilin said teasingly. 'Did your tutors never let you meet important people?' 'I'm afraid not. I bet yours did. The Emperor of Zhong?' Meilin shrugged. 'Maybe. My father did. I've seen him personally in my house only.' 'Only,' Rollan snorted.

 **'The Olvan?' He said, shocked into a whisper.**

Olvan raised his eyebrows. 'I made quite an impression.' 'Oh just quit it all of you,' Rollan said, blushing slightly when everyone looked at him.

 **'If you mean the worldwide commander of the Greencloaks, then yes, the Olvan.' The gyrfalcon shrieked and swooped down to land on Rollan's shoulder. Rollan reached to stroke her feathers. He paused a long moment before he spoke. 'Suddenly everyone wants to be my friend. Both of you showed up so quickly. Is this about my falcon?'**

'Well, I think Essix is more famous then you are, but who knows?' Meilin said.

 **'She is not your falcon. She is the falcon.' Olvan let the words sink in. 'You have summoned Essix back into the world.'**

'That was actually pretty dramatic,' Rollan said. Tarik smiled a little. 'End of the chapter. Who reads next?' 'I suggest we have a lunch break first,' Olvan said, looking at a clock. Everyone agreed, so they went to the Great Hall.

 **So. About halfway through this chapter I bought the English Wild Born book, so the English text from now on will be correct. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. And review please.**


	11. Training

**Hey guys. I am finally finished with the next chapter. It has been a really long time, and I'm really sorry for that. But here it is anyway. I hope you all like it.**

* * *

 _Everyone has come back from lunch break._

'Who reads now?' Tarik asked.

'Can I?' Maya asked, holding out her hand already.

Tarik handed her the book.

 **Abeke sat on the edge of a feather bed. Her room had a carved desk, an elaborate sofa, cushioned chairs, and a mirror framed in what she thought might be real gold -**

'I want such a room,' Rollan said.

'Join the Conquerors,' Meilin said.

Rollan frowned, then shook his head. 'Nope. That's not worth it. I'm just going to irritate Olvan until he gives me such a room.'

Everyone grinned, except for Olvan. However, before anyone could react to it, Maya started reading.

 **all for her personal use. Everyone she encountered treated her respectfully and a servant delivered tasty meals. Her leopard had turned her into royalty.**

'I'm doubting now,' Rollan said.

'You better not,' Meilin said.

'No. I don't want to be kicked by each and every person in this room at the same time, so no, I'm not joining the Conquerors.'

 **The room gently rocked from side to side. To think such luxury was available on a ship!**

'Want a showoff?' Olvan muttered.

 **Abeke would not have believed it had she not seen it. She appreciated the courteous treatment,**

'I feel a but coming,' Rollan said.

 **but did not feel comfortable in the fancy room. It was too different from home. There were no familiar faces or even familiar ways. Zerif had not joined her on the voyage. At the dock, he had explained that urgent matters called him elsewhere,**

'Me,' Rollan said in a sarcastic enthusiast way.

 **and entrusted her in the care if a stranger, a boy named Shane.**

The tension in the room, which first had barely been there, now rose to an extremely high level.

 **After everything she had lost, the extra separation stung.**

That turned a few questioning gazes to Abeke. 'I have no idea actually why I thought that,' she said.

 **Less than a week earlier, Zerif had convinced her father that Abeke needed to leave Okaihee, not just for her personal safety, but for the good of the village.**

'Because otherwise he would attack the village to pursue you to come with him. Typically Conqueror ways,' Lishay said dryly. Everyone nodded.

 **Pojalo had promptly agreed. Part of Abeke wished her father had struggled more with the decision, she could not help wondering wether he would have relinquished Soama so swiftly.**

'What does relinquish mean?' Rollan asked.

'If you relinquish somebody, you let somebody leave, let somebody go away. Like that Abeke left her village,' Lenori explained.

 **With the approval of her father, Zerif had smuggled Abeke and Uraza away that same night.**

'I wonder, why did Uraza not eat him?' Rollan said.

'Because Zerif probably tastes horrible,' Abeke said, which evolved a round of laughter. When it had died down, Rollan said. 'Oh come on.' A few snickers, and Maya continued reading.

 **Abeke regretted never talking to Chinwe.**

'Like Zerif would have allowed you to,' Rollan said. 'Not a chance,' Abeke agreed.

 **Chinwe had thought that Abeke would be the village's new Rain Dancer.**

Rollan promptly started laughing.

'What's wrong with him this time?' Maya asked.

'No idea. Just continue. He'll stop,' Meilin said.

 **They certainly needed one. In the rush to heed Zerif's advice,**

That stopped the last bits of laughter from Rollan immediately. 'One very simple lesson. Zerif doesn't give advice!'

'Okay. Sure. But what was that all about?' Meilin asked, an eyebrow raised.

'I was just imagining my imagination of a Rain Dancer,' Rollan said.

'That is not what a Rain Dancer is!' Abeke and Lenori said at the same time. They looked at each other, smiling a little.

Rollan just sighed. 'Busted, my nice imagination.'

 **she had ignored the needs of her community. What if her absence meant the drought would continue? What if she had shirked her destiny?**

'Okay, I don't know exactly what shirked means but you really are a superstitious girl,' Rollan said.

Abeke rolled her eyes. 'I guess.'

 **What if she had missed the chance to finally fit in?**

Conor offered her a warm smile, to which she smiled back.

 **Despite the comforts aboard the ship, Abeke missed her father and sister. Back home they had shared one room. They had routines, meals together, and Abeke was used to falling asleep to the sound of her father snoring.**

Rollan raised his eyebrows. 'Give me city sounds over that.'

 **Each night on the ship, Abeke struggled to find sleep. Nothing felt familiar.**

Lenori smiled at Abeke comfortingly.

 **At first there had been too many new experiences to get homesick - an exciting coast ride, a busy city, a sea of endless water too salty to drink,**

'It's called an ocean,' Rollan said.

'I'm aware,' Abeke said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

 **and then a ship big enough to hold most of the people in her village. It was only after they set sail that Abeke started to feel restless. She had time to think. She had time to miss prowling the savannah. She had time to wish for familiar faces. At least she had Uraza. Abeke rubbed the leopard's neck and the big cat purred, the vibrations tickling her palm.**

Abeke and Lishay smiled a little at it.

 **Uaza was not particularly affectionate, but she never rejected Abeke's stroking. A knock came at her door. It had to be Shane. He was the other pleasant part of the voyage.**

Abeke bit her lip.

 **He had been helping her learn to improve her connection with Uraza.**

'If Uraza just ate him now that would safe a lot of trouble,' Rollan commented.

 **'Come in,' Abeke said. Shane opened the door. At twelve, he was only one year older than she was. He was pale, but handsome, with a sturdy build and a relaxed competence that she admired. Like her, he had a spirit animal - a wolverine.**

Abeke frowned a little sadly.

 **'Ready to go to the hold?' He asked. 'I thought you'd never come,' Abeke said. 'I'm not used to being penned up.'**

'They were allowing you to walk around the ship right?' Rollan asked.

Abeke shrugged. 'A little. At times. Not too late or too early though. They were probably afraid that I would run off.' She chuckled.

'Now I know I'm not going to join the Conquerors,' Rollan said.

 **He stood in the doorway, considering her. 'It's hard to leave all you know behind. I had to leave my parents too. My uncle helped train me, and he's not around either.' 'My mother passed away four years ago,'**

Abeke got slight tears in her eyes. Conor took her hand in comfort.

 **'She was the one who understood me. My father and sister... it was different with them. But I do miss them. I know they care for me, as I care for them.' Shane's expression softened. 'People here care for you as well, Abeke.**

Some people snorted.

 **We see great potential in you. Those of us with heavy burdens find family where we can. You have your spirit animal. You'll learn to find a lot of solace there. Come.' Uraza followed them out the door. As they passed sailors and soldiers, all eyes furtively strayed to the leopard. Uraza walked with the sinuous grace of a natural predator, and nobody wanted to get too close.**

Everyone laughed a little.

'Those Conquerors are cowards,' Rollan said.

 **Even the bravest gave her plenty of space, while others changed their routes to avoid her entirely. After only four days at sea, Abeke had learned to ignore the attention. Shane had prepared the hold for use as a training area. Crates, bales, and barrels had been shoved aside to form a long open space. Nobody disturbed them there.**

'Exactly. So Uraza can eat Shane here,' Rollan said.

Abeke and Meilin rolled their eyes. 'Why do you want Uraza to eat Shane so much?' Abeke asked him.

'Well, it would help us with a lot of problems we had,' Rollan said.

Meilin sighed. 'Rollan. This has already happened. There's no use in saying such things. And I want to finish this book today, or otherwise tomorrow morning, but not in a month.'

Rollan made a face, but was quiet.

 **'Have you spent time talking to Uraza?' Shane asked. 'Showing fondness for her?' 'Yes,' Abeke said. 'Any spirit animal has unusual intelligence,' he reminded her. 'Yours will have much more than most. She can't talk, but that doesn't mean she wont understand.'**

'Every spirit animal understands you when you talk,' Olvan muttered.

 **'The Great Beasts could speak,' Abeke said,**

'Correction. Can speak,' Abeke said.

 **passing through a door into the cargo hold. 'At least they do in the stories.' 'When she was a Great Beast, Uraza was larger than a horse,' Shane reminded her. 'Does that mean my Uraza is a cub?' Abeke asked.**

'Highly unlikely,' Lenori said.

'It would be funny,' Rollan said.

'I don't know,' Conor started, looking at Briggan. 'He would probably never stop jumping around then. I'd pity myself. Especially since he would then shred my blankets too, as a toy. Not that he doesn't do that already.'

Everyone laughed a little.

 **The powerful leopard sure didn't look like a baby. 'Spirit animals always arrive as adults,' Shane said. 'Wether Uraza will grow into everything she once was is hard to guess. We'll have to wait and see.' Abeke turned to face Uraza. The leopard gazed at her, violet eyes bright. 'Can you sense her mood?' Shane asked. 'I don't know,' Abeke said, staring hard. 'Interested, maybe?'**

'I bet in food,' Rollan said.

Meilin slapped him on the head. 'It's irritating now.'

 **'That seems likely,' Shane said. 'The more you practice, the better you'll perceive her emotions. That's the first step to borrowing her energy in times of need.'**

'They literally only think about how fast you can run, or how hard you can swing a sword,' Lenori muttered.

 **'What about passive state?' Abeke had always been impressed by Chinwe's ability to change her wildebeest into a tattoo on her leg. 'That is more up to Uraza than to you,' Shane said. 'You must gain her trust. She enters her passive state voluntarily, but she can't emerge until you release her.' 'You keep your wolverine dormant?' Abeke asked. Once, at her pleading, he had bashfully shown her the hint of a mark high on his chest.**

Abeke groaned slightly, burying her head in her hands.

 **'Most of the time. Renneg is great in a fight,**

Conor looked at his fingers for a moment. 'I know that,' he muttered softly.

 **but doesn't play well with others. When Uraza consents, you'll get to pick where the mark will go. Many choose their arms or the back of the hand. It's convenient.' Abeke had only seen the wolverine once, when they were boarding the ship. It was compact, but looked vicious? Shane held up a wooden stick. 'We did enough archery yesterday. You're good, but I didn't sense Uraza making you any better. I thought maybe we should try something more strenuous. We'll pretend this is a knife. All you have to do is stab me.'**

Rollan smirked. 'We don't all get to do that. Tell me you stabbed him.'

'Maybe,' Abeke said, making it sound mysterious.

 **He handed Abeke the stick. Abeke went and knelt before Uraza. The leopard lounged on the floor, body curled, head up, long tail swishing languidly. Abeke took in the spotted perfection of her pelt, the black around her vibrant eyes, and the muscular power of her sleek body. How could such a strong, wild creature be her companion?**

'Well, do I really have to explain?' Rollan started.

Abeke rolled her eyes. 'Not funny Rollan.'

'I do think so,' Rollan said, smiling.

 **Uraza gazed at her, unblinking. Abeke gently touched one of her paws. 'We're a team now. Like it or not, we're both far from home, but at least we have each other. I can tell you don't love this ship. Neither do I. But it's just taking us someplace where we can outside again. I really do like you - you're quiet, you're not pushy, and we come from the same place. I want to learn to work together.'**

'Is that how you talked in the beginning of your bond?' Rollan asked. 'I'm afraid we have a problem Essix,' he called out.

Everyone chuckled.

 **Uraza purred and Abeke fluttered inside. Was it her imagination, or had they begun to connect? It was difficult to be sure. Abeke turned to face Shane. 'Whenever you're ready,' he invited.**

'I want to be you right now,' Rollan said.

 **Abeke shuffled forward, the stick held in front of her. Back home, she had used a spear at times, and had practiced a lot with her bow. She knew little about fighting with a knife.**

'I'm sure Conor will love to teach you a few tricks,' Rollan said, smirking.

Conor and Abeke both blushed.

Before anyone could continue about it, Maya started reading again.

 **This didn't seem like a effective way to confront a larger, more experienced opponent. She would never approach Shane openly. Her only chance would be to strike from behind, attack out of hiding.**

Rollan rolled his eyes upwards, Abeke hid a smirk with her hand, Conor chuckled and Meilin smiled a little. Lishay and Tarik shared a smile.

'Rollan knows how it feels,' Abeke explained to the others

 **With surprise on her side, she'd have much more odds of succeeding. But this was just practice. She needed to fight according to Shane's guidelines.**

'Which is actually strange. Wouldn't it be better if you focus on what you can and build on that? Because that way-'

'Rollan,' Tarik said, slight amusement in his face. Rollan was quiet.

 **Maybe there was something predatory in Uraza that would amplify her efforts. As Abeke closed in, she tried to quickly stab. Shane pivoted away, slapping her wrist.**

'And I thought this was training,' Conor said. 'Shane's training,' Rollan said.

 **Three more stabs led to three more slaps. She felt no assistance from Uraza. 'This is pointless,' Abeke groaned, relaxing her stance for an instance. 'You just need-' She lunged and stabbed hard, hoping to catch him off guard.**

Abeke shook her head. 'Didn't work.'

 **Shane dodged her attack and seized her wrist. For a moment they struggled. Abeke silently asked Uraza for help. Shane pried the stick from her fingers and touched it to her belly. 'Good try,' he said. 'You almost caught me napping.'**

Rollan suddenly smirked.

'I don't like that smirk,' Meilin said.

'Nothing,' Roll said. 'Just a little idea.'

 **'I would never attack you like this in real life,' Abeke said. 'I'd sneak up on you.' Shane nodded. 'That would be smarter. And more suited to how a leopard would hunt. Tell you what - I'll go to the far side of the hold and sand with my back to you. I won't turn unless I hear something suspicious. Deal?'**

'This is going to be an... interesting part,' Abeke said.

 **Abeke nodded. This would play to her more proven abilities. Shane returned the stick to her and trotted to the far side of the room. Staying low, her pretend knife ready, Abeke crept forward. Step by step she drew nearer. 'Are you moving yet?' Shane asked, facing away from her. 'If so, you're good at this.**

'Of course she is,' Rollan and Conor said at the same time. Rollan in the "I have experienced it firsthand" way, Conor in the "proud" way.

Rollan winked at Conor, causing him to blush a little.

 **If not, hurry up - we don't have all day.' Abeke fought against a smile. She knew that she was a skilled stalker, and it was nice to hear Shane recognise it.**

Multiple raised eyebrows to Abeke, who smiled a little. 'I know. But that was more than a year and a half ago. So sorry, but nothing to change about it. It probably all is going to get worse in your eyes.'

'And not only for her, for us too. Hooray,' Rollan muttered.

 **Glancing over her shoulder, she found the leopard watching attentively, her posture more alert than earlier.**

'Probably ready for any dirty trick Shane will play on you,' Conor said.

Abeke shook her head. 'Something else.'

 **The door near Shane burst open and a figure raced toward him.**

'Okay,' Rollan slowly said. 'Strange.'

 **Robed in black, face covered, the attacker held a curved sword ready.**

'Tell me that whoever that was kicked Shane's butt,' Rollan said.

Abeke shook her head.

Rollan scowled.

 **Shane ducked a swipe of the sword and grappled with the intruder. 'Run, Abeke,' Shane shouted. 'It's an assassin.'**

'And how does he know?' Rollan wondered out loud.

Abeke just shrugged, a mysterious little smile playing around her lips.

 **The assassin was bigger than Shane. They wrestled for control of the sword. Abeke found herself in a low crouch, both unfamiliar and instinctive. A foreign energy blazed into her muscles - every fibre seemed taut and ready to release. Her senses had never felt so keen. She heard the subtle creak of the timbers as the ship rocked gently to the right. She could smell the attacker,**

Rollam scrunched his nose up.

 **a full-grown man, and could distinguish easily between him and Shane. Her vision was enhanced as well, sharpened. No part of her intended to heed Shane's instruction to run.**

Lishay and Tarik shared a look.

 **Her heart swelled with courage. And she sprang. Although several paces from Shane, Abeke closed the distance with a single leap. Hurtling through the air, she lashed out with one leg and kicked the attacker in the arm. He spun to one knee and his sword flew free, clattering across the plank floor. The man rose to his feet with a vicious uppercut that Abeke evaded almost without thought. He back off a step or two, one hand up, ready for combat, the other flopping useless at his side.**

The others flashed smiles at Abeke, who simply smiled a little back.

 **Abeke leaped forward and kicked him in the ribs, her foot crashing through his attempt to block it. The blow landed with enough force to send the assassin flying into the wall. He slumped face-down.**

Some people shot complimentarily looks at Abeke, who was still smiling.

 **Her instincts screamed to finish the job,**

'Is she going to kill him?' Rollan asked.

'I thought about doing that to you when I caught you that time during training but Meilin made me not do it,' Abeke said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

'Not true,' Meilin muttered.

Before any of the others could react, Maya continued reading, rewarding her with a look of relief from Meilin.

 **but before Abeke could close in, she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. 'No, Abeke! No more! It was pretend. He was acting.'**

'What?' Multiple people said.

 **She slipped out of her heightened state, and glared at Shane.**

Everyone laughed.

'I would nearly pity Shane,' Rollan said.

Everyone stopped laughing and looked at him like he was crazy.

'Nearly,' Rollan said.

Maya just shook her head and continued reading.

 **'Pretend?' Uraza gave an angry growl, the first Abeke had heard from the leopard.**

'Uraza is finally going to eat him,' Rollan said.

'Rollan,' multiple people said.

 **'I wanted to see how you would perform under pressure,' Shane explained. 'It worked, Abeke. That was incredible!**

'That's one true thing,' Tarik muttered.

 **Many of the Marked train their entire lives without ever attacking like that.'** **Trembling with unreleased energy, Abeke struggled to calm herself.**

Rollan groaned. 'Abeke. You should have just killed him!'

Everybody ignored him.

 **The praise did not escape her notice, but it was hard to embrace when she felt so stunned. 'You got a true response through trickery,' she said.**

'Conquerors' way,' Olvan muttered.

 **'What you just did to us was a betrayal.'**

Abeke swallowed once, then barely visibly shook her head.

 **'I-I'm sorry.' Shane's smile fell. His earlier excitement gave way to embarrassment. 'Really.**

Multiple people snorted.

 **I was trying to help. It was a training technique.**

'So we know not to use it,' Tarik said to Lishay, who grinned and nodded.

'You better not dare,' Abeke said, glaring at both of them, playfully.

Lishay raised her hands slightly in surrender. 'We won't dare. I don't want to be leopard lunch.'

'We?' Rollan asked, suggestively.

'Yeah. Tarik and I.'

The Four shared a look.

'You make training methods together?' Meilin asked.

'Yes,' Tarik slowly said.

'Just making training methods or making more than that?' Rollan asked.

'I don't know what you have in mind but that definitely doesn't happen,' Lishay said.

'Okay,' the Four said in unison.

Before anyone could say anhything, Maya had started reading again.

 **I didn't know you'd see it this way.' 'Never again,' Abeke said, struggling to calm herself. 'or the next time you're in trouble, we will let the attackers have you.' 'Agreed.' Shane ran a hand through his hair.**

'You don't have to try and charm her by making your hair look doll-like-fake,' Conor muttered.

 **'You're right, it was unfair to you and Uraza. It won't happen again.' Abeke felt some of the tension leave her. She nodded toward the fallen assailant. 'Is he all right?'**

'It would be one Conquerors less if he's dead,' Rollan said.

 **Shane crouched beside him and felt his neck. 'He's unconscious. He'll live.' He shook his head. 'Honestly, I couldn't imagine you would have been able to take out a trained, full-grown opponent.**

'Maybe you shouldn't underestimate her,' Conor muttered really softly.

Abeke blushed slightly, and Rollan and Meilin smirked a little.

 **Let me take care of this. You know the way back to your cabin.' Abeke turned and found Uraza facing her, having approached silently. Now there was no doubt about the wordless understanding. Abeke held out her arm. With a searing pain and a brief flash, Uraza leaped to become a blaze of black just below her elbow.**

'And sometimes live is unfair,' Rollan said.

Meilin rolled her eyes.

* * *

 **So. This was the chapter. I hope you liked it. Btw, I have an idea on how to update this quicker, so hopefully it works. The next chapter will be up quicker than this one, I promise. And please review to let me know what you think of this chapter. Bye.**


	12. Sunset Tower (1)

**Hello everyone. Yes, I am finished with the next chapter, quicker than usual which is nice, I think. Here we it is, enjoy!**

* * *

'Would you like to read?' Maya asked, clearly a question towards Finn.

He nodded after a slightly hesitant pause, taking the book from her.

 **Rollan stood with his head tipped back, using one hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he followed the flight of his falcon. Essix turned in two wide circles, soaring higher than the tallest spire of the Greencloak fortress. The grass came up to Rollan's knees.**

'Ever thought about cutting it?' Rollan asked.

'Well, if you spill my coffee in some way again it could be a great task for you,' Olvan said, smirking.

Rollan gulped.

 **Inside Sunset Tower, they had training rooms and spacious courtyards, but he preferred spending time outside the walls. Too many people inside the fortress stared at him, some with doubt,**

'I wonder why,' Rollan said, acting all serious.

Meilin rolled her eyes.

 **others expectantly. Either reaction unsettle him.**

Meilin smirked.

 **Besides, it was prettier outside. Wilderness had surrounded Concorba at a distance, but he rarely ever saw it. There were a few parks in town, some weedy lots, and the muddy banks of Sipimiss River, but the port city was mostly a place of commerce. He had occasionally seen farmland beyond the town boundaries, but nothing like this - not big hills, not woods, not wild meadows.**

Lenori smiled a little, nearly sadly.

 **An imposing collection of bulky structures enclosed by tall walls of heavy stone, Sunset Tower was not the main Amayan stronghold of the Greencloaks. Rather, it served as the westernmost Greencloak outpost in Nothern Amaya.** **Any farther west led to untamed land controlled mostly by beasts and Amayan tribes.**

Lenori smiled broadened..

 **Rollan whistled. 'Essix, to me!' The bird continued to glide on lofty breezes. 'Essix, come!'**

'She's not a pet Rollan,' Lishay said sternly.

Rollan just nodded, his eyes glued to the ground.

Let's just say that Lishay could be very stern at times, so that Rollan listened too...

 **The falcon drifted through another lazy turn. 'Get down here! How hard is it to follow simple instructions? The dimmest kid I know can do that much!'**

Lishay shook her head. 'I will just think this happened in the past and hope that it isn't happening anymore,' she said.

'Of course not. Essix and I are one soul in one body,' Rollan said.

Meilin frowned. 'How is that possible. And by the way, I think more two souls in a body, two souls who sometimes do tend to argue.'

'Talking about yourself and Rollan?' Abeke asked, smirking.

'Not a chance,' Meilin muttered loudly.

 **Bad move.**

'At least he realises it himself,' Lishay said.

 **Essix now seemed to be flying farther away from him on purpose. Rollan took a calming breath. He had already learned that shouting angry words would keep the bird in the sky all day. 'Please Essix,' he called more gently. 'Olvan wants us to learn to work as one.'**

'Which worked after... a year?' Meilin suggested, cocking her head to the side slightly.

Rollan grinned. 'It did work.'

'After a year,' Meilin said dryly.

'Yes. But it did work.'

'I give up on him.'

'Love you too.'

Meilin couldn't help the very slight blush which crept up her cheeks.

 **The falcon tucked her wings and plunged toward him. He held up a protected hand, the large brown glove a gift from Olvan.**

'That was also the last gift he received from me,' Olvan muttered.

Rollan shook his head. 'You forgot my birthday. You gave me a new pair because I threw the other one in a Conqueror and his spirit animal's face.'

Olvan didn't reply, but his expression said enough.

 **After arrowing down with blinding speed,**

'Maybe you should learn archery,' Abeke suggested.

'Never.'

 **Essix spread her wings at the last moment to slow her descent and alighted on his forearm. 'Good girl,' Rollan said, stroking her feathers. 'Want to try the passive state? Want to become a mark on my arm?' Rollan needed no comprehension of bird speech to recognise that her piercing cry meant absolutely not.**

'Must be a bird thing,' Meilin said.

'Not really,' Lenori said. 'I think it is more of a "Rollan and Essix" thing.'

Meilin thought for a moment, then nodded. 'Yeah.'

 **Rollan gritted his teeth but kept petting her. 'Come on Essix. You don't want us to look useless when the others get here.**

The other three laughed.

 **Let's show them what we can do.' The falcon cocked her head to stare at him with one amber eye. Her feathers ruffled up, but she made no further sound. 'Hey, it doesn't just reflect on me,' Rollan said. 'It makes you look bad too.'**

'Don't lie Rollan,' Lishay and Meilin said sternly.

Rollan raised his hands in surrender. 'Sorry!' He said dramatically.

 **Behind him, a horn sounded. Another horn answered. The Greencloaks at Sunset Tower liked to announce their comings and goings with horns.**

'And I'm still trying to figure out why and what is what,' Rollan said.

 **'That probably means they're here,' Rollan said. Essix hopped to his shoulder. Yesterday, Olvan had informed Rollan that two of the other three Fallen Beasts were on their way to Sunset Tower with their bonded partners. He explained that after they arrived, Rollan would learn more about what was needed from him. There was always one reason or another to delay a full explanation.**

Rollan raised his eyebrows at a person, who deliberately didn't meet his gaze.

 **Rollan wondered if the other kids had already taken the Greencloak vows. Olvan said that the vows meant a lifetime commitment to defending Erdas and standing united with the other Greencloaks. In return, Rollan would receive help developing his relationship with Essix, he would be given a duty and purpose, and he would never want for food, shelter, or fellowship.**

'It does sound a little too perfect and simple,' Meilin commented.

 **Rollan wasn't sure he bought it.**

Laughter.

 **The return of the Four Fallen was supposed to be a really big deal,**

'It is,' Olvan said.

'I know now,' Rollan said. 'I just...'

'You just?'

'Nothing.'

Olvan quite sceptically raised his eyebrows but didn't go on about it.

 **but Olvan refused to say what they were actually mean to do. How long did Olvan expect him to wait? Now that Essix had freed Rollan from a live of poverty, he questioned wether he wanted to tie himself down. He had never enjoyed taking orders.**

'We know that,' Olvan grumbled. Rollan just took that as a sign to look a complete other direction.

 **People with authority tended to abuse it.**

'You suggest I abuse my authority?' Olvan boomed.

Rollan frowned. 'Yes!' He suddenly shouted out. 'You make me do stupid chores and you yell at everyone when you don't have coffee.'

'Except for Lenori. You never yell at her,' Meilin added.

'They've got a point,' Lishay said. 'About the coffee.'

Olvan grumbled something unintelligible under his breath, while Lenori's face flushed slightly red at Meilin's addition.

 **With Essix on his shoulder, who knew what options awaited?**

'Joining the Conquerors,' Meilin dryly suggested.

 **It was possible that joining the Greencloaks would prove to be his best opportunity, especially if he had become a target of people like Zerif. Then again, Rollan hadn't had time to explore all of the alternatives. Instead of turning down Olvan, Rollan asked for time to think it over. That had been three days ago. As Rollan tromped**

Meilin's raised her eyebrows while Abeke couldn't suppress a giggle.

 **through the tall grass toward the gate of Sunset Tower, a grim Greencloak astride a might horse rode into view.**

'Grim?' Tarik questioned.

Rollan groaned. 'Don't make me explain. Sorry.'

 **A girl walked beside the Greencloak on one side and a boy on the other. A panda ambled beside the girl,**

Meilin smiled a little.

 **and a large wolf loped beside the boy.**

Conor smiled.

 **They were all headed for Rollan, so he picked up his pace.**

'And there he came, walking towards us as a street boy with a falcon on his shoulder. Bad first impressions,' Meilin said.

'From that moment she knew she loved me,' Rollan said.

'Not a chance,' Meilin commented.

Everyone was watching them with amused smiles, which caused Meilin, when she saw it, to sigh deeply. 'Not. A. Chance.'

'Sure,' Abeke said, smirking.

 **He knew the panda and wolf must be two of the other Fallen, Jhi and Briggan. The Greencloak dismounted when he drew near, and Rollan sized him up.**

Rollan gulped, realising something.

 **He was the sort of stranger Rollan would have avoided on the streets of Concorba.**

Everyone laughed.

When they were done laughing, Tarik said to Rollan, who was at the moment hiding his head in his lap. 'I'll just take that as a compliment.'

Rollan made a barely understandable acknowledging comment, since he still had his head on his lap.

 **The boy had blond hair and wore a green cloak, meaning he had taken the vows. Although he was average height for his age, he seemed young. He had a friendly, open face - the sort of face that hadn't figured out what life was like yet.**

More laughter.

'Rollan. You're simply so... not nice,' Maya said.

Rollan again made the same noise he had previously made.

 **The girl was striking.**

Even more laughter, while Meilin flushed quiet red and Rollan tried to hide his face even more.

 **She had sparkling eyes and a shy smile that stopped Rollan in his tracks.**

Even more laughter, while Meilin smiled a little proudly, and Rollan groaned.

 **A faint response in her expression told Rollan that she appreciated his reaction, and he realised that her shy smile was practiced. Judging by her outfit and her features, she came from Zhong, which made sense given her spirit animal.**

'I'm impressed Rollan,' Lishay said.

Rollan looked up. 'Am I save?'

'Never,' Meilin said.

Rollan flushed red, muttering. 'Go on please.'

 **Rollan had never seen a real panda. Or a wolf. His only exposure to such creatures came from the Widow Renata, who used to visit the orphanage and read them picture books about the Great Beasts. 'I'm Tarik,' the Greencloak said. 'I take it you're Rollan?' 'I was trying to keep a low profile,' Rollan said. 'How could you tell? It was the falcon, wasn't it?'**

'And I wonder how we are all possibly still alive taking his sarcasm,' Abeke said, groaning a little.

 **'Meilin, Conor, I would like you to meet Rollan,' Tarik said. 'He was born and raised here in Amaya. Just as you two summoned Jhi and Briggan, he called Essix.'**

'Just not with such a dramatic ceremony,' Rollan said, "recovered" and back to his old self. Maybe a little unfortunately, taken the silence hadn't been that bad.

 **The wolf padded forward and the falcon fluttered down to stand before it.**

'Him,' Conor muttered.

 **The panda moved close as well, and Essix gave a soft screech. The animals cautiously investigated each other. 'Do they remember?' Meilin asked, speaking Common. She had a nice voice.**

Everyone laughed, while Rollan groaned, burying his head in his lap again. Meilin couldn't down the slight blush on her cheeks.

 **It matched her appearance.**

Conor and Abeke smirked when Rollan groaned loudly, and Meilin couldn't help the blush rising up her cheeks more.

 **'Perhaps,' Tarik said. 'It's difficult to pinpoint how much of their former lives they recall. Much of it might be instinct at this stage.' 'What about the fourth Fallen Beast?' Rollan asked. 'Uraza.' Tarik scowled.**

'You didn't have to scowl you know. It was kind of creepy,' Rollan just randomly said, raising his head from his lap.

Tarik frowned slightly, and nodded. 'Sure.'

 **'Somebody got to Uraza and her new partner before us, much as Zerif attempted with you. The girl is named Abeke. We don't know her present location, but we won't rest until we find her.**

'Okay,' Abeke said, slowly and softly.

 **Lenori believes she and Uraza are still alive. The challenge will be finding the,' 'is Lenori how you found us?' Conor asked. Tarik nodded. 'Lenori is the most gifted visionary of all the Greencloaks.**

Lenori smiled shyly at the compliment.

 **Thanks to her unique foresight, we suspected the Four Fallen were returning.'**

'Olvan wouldn't know what to do without her,' Abeke said.

Meilin nodded.

'That's not entirely...' Olvan started, but quit halfway.

'False. That's not entirely false. Exactly,' Meilin said, winking.

 **'Her powers can't be entirely unique,' Rollan pointed out. 'Not if somebody beat you to the girl in Nilo.'**

Olvan turned a pretty much death glare to Rollan.

 **'If Uraza is currently lost,' Meilin said.**

'Something like lost,' Meilin said.

 **'then the three of us must represent the Four Fallen. Aren't we supposed to learn what's going on, now that we're together?'**

'Exactly,' Rollan said.

 **'That information is Olvan's to share,' Tarik told her. 'You already know that we want you to join the Grencloaks and help us preserve Erdas.'**

'No pressure or something,' Rollan grumbled.

'You know, that was kind of not the exactly correct thing to say back then,' Lishay said. 'You could have done that a little more tactically.'

'Sorry,' Tarik said.

Everyone looked at them for a moment, some eyebrows raised.

'I'm still human,' he added.

'I doubt that sometimes,' Meilin said.

 **'From the Devourer,' Rollan asked, not hiding his skepticism. Tarik seemed momentarily startled by this question.**

'Why?' Rollan asked.

'Because I hadn't expected that question.'

'But you're superhuman. You can take anything,' Rollan said, a little bit smirking.

Tarik groaned. 'Rollan.'

'Yes?'

'Nothing. Close your mouth.'

 **'Who mentioned the Devourer?' 'This guy I met,' Rollan said.**

Rollan started laughing hysterically.

'I will just guess it will get funny,' Maya said.

 **'He was riding a moose.'**

Everyone laughed then.

When the laughter died down, Lenori said. 'That is a pretty good explanation. If you add "with a coffee addiction" to it.'

More laughter.

'That-'

'Don't you dare say it's not true,' Meilin said, pointing a finger to him, glaring.

'Fine,' Olvan raised his hands in surrender. 'You're all correct and I'm wrong.'

 **'We're still not positive who we're up against. If it isn't the Devourer himself, it's somebody very much like him.**

'Which was more information than I had ever gotten before,' Rollan said.

 **It shouldn't be long before Olvan explains why we need your help. For the moment, you three should seize this chance to get better acquainted. You'll see a lot of each other in the coming days. I'll ride ahead to announce our arrival.'**

'And he left us,' Rollan said.

'Which again wasn't very tactically said,' Lishay said. 'You haven't changed at all.'

'So what was he like when you were younger?' Meilin asked. 'Any nice details?'

'None of your business,' Tarik said, blushing slightly.

Lishay just shook her head. 'He is right. That's none of your business'

 **'Get ready to be stared at,' Rollan warned the others as Tarik rode away. 'It's all people have done since I arrived. At first I was worried I had food on my face.'**

Laughter.

'You know, Rollan's parts are actually pretty hilarious,' Maya said.

People nodded, Rollan the most.

 **'People tend to stare at newcomers,' Meilin said. 'Especially important ones.' 'I guess our animals make us important,' Conor said, sounding uncertain wether he believed it. The conversation died out. Conor looked uneasy.**

Conor's face flushed a little.

 **Rollan sized up the other two and their animals. Briggan was the most impressive beast.**

Conor smiled a little.

 **Rollan knew some people back in Concorba he would love to scare with a wolf like that.**

'Mister Valdez is an example,' Rollan said, smirking a little.

 **The panda just sat pawing at the grass. Conor seemed shy, Meilin acted uninterested.**

'Not acted, was,' Meilin said.

 **'Judging by your clothes, I take it you're rich,' Rollan said to her. 'Wealth is relative,' she replied with a cold look. 'The emperor has much more treasure than my father.' Rollan chuckled. 'If the Zhongese emperor**

'Did you ever meet him?' Rollan asked.

'My father did. I just saw him.'

'Just,' Rollan muttered.

 **is your example of someone richer than you, you have to be loaded.' 'My father is a general and there are also successful merchants in my bloodline.' 'Yep, rich,' Rollan said. 'What about you, Conor? Do you have a family or a bloodline?' Conor blushed a little, glancing at Meilin. 'A family. We have a bloodline, I guess, but we don't use that word. We're shepherds. I got stuck as a servant for a time, but I always preferred the outdoors. 'And I'm an orphan,' Rollan said bluntly. 'I'm only here because Essix was my ticket out of jail.'**

'Not a good idea to say as the first thing about yourself,' Meilin said.

 **'Jail!' Conor exclaimed. 'What did you do?' Rollan checked to make sure they were both listening closely,**

'Acted this time,' Meilin said, with a wink to Rollan, who rolled his eyes.

 **then leaned in. 'Actually, I was innocent - mot that I had any proof. I was arrested for stealing medicine from an apothecary.' 'Were you sick?' Conor asked. 'A friend had a bad fever. Another friend did it. I was around when it happened, so they assumed I was in on it.' 'Which is the lie?' Meilin asked. 'That you were in jail, or that you were there for stealing the medicine?' Rollan shrugged. 'You got me.**

Rollan paled dangerously fast.

 **I'm actually Olvan's son.**

'Never!'

'Sorry,' Rollan squealed.

Meilin and Abeke shared a look. 'Who would be his mother then?' Abeke wondered out loud.

'No one,' Olvan said. 'I don't have children.'

'Yet,' Meilin said.

'That will never happen.'

'Let's not hold this discussion in his company,' Abeke said.

Finn took the chance to start reading again now that everyone was silent, although Olvan still cast a quiet angry glance at Rollan.

 **He's having me spy on you.' Meilin didn't challenge him further, but Rollan could tell she didn't trust him.**

'Still don't,' Meilin muttered.

 **Maybe she wasn't completely stupid.**

This time, Meilin's eyes blazed with anger. 'Rollan!' She shouted out.

Rollan jumped up, running away.

Meilin for a moment looked like she would chase him, but sat down again. 'I won't chase him. I'm not that stupid.'

Rollan stopped running, but didn't return to his seat. 'I think it might be a better idea to stay here for...'

'Forever,' Meilin said, in a growl-of-kind voice.

 **It was a pretty far-fetched story. Plus she hadn't accepted the green cloak yet.**

'What does that stupid story of yours have to do with the green cloak?' Olvan asked.

'I choose not to answer,' Rollan said, taking a step back as he now had two people who seemed to want to murder him.

 **Conor peered over his shoulder at Sunset Tower. 'What do you think they want us to do?' 'Maybe we should have asked before you put on the cloak,' Rollan suggested.**

'Rollan,' Olvan said.

After a few seconds of no reply he sighed and said. 'Two things. One, we are not the enemy. Two, sit down on the chair!'

Rollan slowly walked back to his chair, sitting down, on the edge.

 **'I expect they want us as soldiers,' Meilin said. 'Leaders, probably. The war has already begun.' 'I bet they want us as mascots,' Rollan said. 'They'll probably add me to the Amayan flag.'**

Some laughter.

 **Conor laughed, blushing slightly. 'Can you imagine? As if all the attention didn't make me uncomfortable enough.' 'This is a poor hour for humour,' Meilin snapped, her eyes blazing. 'Zhong is heavy under attack. The Greencloaks smuggled me away as my father fought to defend our city. I still haven't heard wether he lived or died, whatever they plane for us better be good.'**

'Wow,' Abeke said.

'I was a little stressed,' Meilin said.

 **Rollan eyed her warily. 'I'm not sure how helpful I'll be,' Rollan said. 'Do you two have any tips about the animals? I can hardly get Essix to do anything.'**

Lenori sighed softly. 'Rollan. First of all, Essix is not your pet. Second of all, you could have asked.'

Rollan stared at her for a moment, then groaned, slumping back in his chair. 'I have a brilliant idea. Why don't we do a "no pestering Rollan" moment.'

'No one pesters you,' Lishay said. 'Well, not really at least.'

 **'I've been trying with Briggan,' Conor said, crouching to pet his wolf. 'He can be stubborn. The more we've gotten to know each other, the better it's become. Tarik told me that eventually we can get powers from them.' Rollan glanced at Meilin and her panda. 'What's your power going to be? Cuddling?'**

Rollan groaned again, cowering back into his chair as much as possible.

'That was rude Rollan,' Lenori said.

'We had a "no pestering Rollan" moment,' Rollan said.

'If you are going to be rude than it doesn't count. And no one pesters you.'

'I'm glad I'm not actually Olvan's son,' Rollan said.

Lenori frowned. 'What does that have to do with this?'

'Then you would probably be my mother. Nothing against you but I dislike stern mothers. I never had one so...'

Both Olvan and Lenori blushed bright red, as the rest was laughing.

When it all died down, Olvan said. 'She's my best friend, nothing more.'

'I'll just continue reading,' Finn said before anyone else could react to it, since Meilin and Abeke's eyes held a mischievous glance.

 **Meilin's face was pure ice. For a moment her lips trembled, but after that the anger only touched her eyes. She held out her arm and in a flash Jhi became a design on the back of her hand. She turned and stormed away. 'See,' Rollan called. 'Like that! How did you figure that out?'**

'Like I was going to answer you,' Meilin said.

 **'Too late,' Conor said quietly. 'I haven't known Meilin long, but I can tell she has a temper.' 'Can you do that too?' Rollan asked. 'The tattoo thing?' 'Not yet,' Conor said. Rollan stroked Essix. 'At least we're not the only slow learners.'**

* * *

 **Well, here was chapter... I don't know which chapter this is in this** **story, but in the actual book it is the first part of chapter six. But that doesn't really matter. I hope you all liked this chapter, I sure did like writing it. I will try to again publish the next chapter quickly. Bye.** **P.s. please review.**


	13. Sunset Tower (2)

**Hello everyone. Here I am again, with a new chapter. I know I haven't updated for a really long time and I'm sorry for that. I'm not going to do a thousand apologies, let's just get on with this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Sunset Tower was dark and still as Rollan crept out of his room.**

'Why are you outside when it's dark?' Multiple people asked.

Rollan shrugged.

'You weren't trying to sneak away now were you?' Meilin said.

Rollan shrugged again.

'I'll continue reading and we can find out,' Finn said.

 **He paused, listening, ready with answers if he was challenged by a watchman: He couldn't sleep; he needed a snack.**

'He is gonna sneak away,' Meilin said.

Rollan simply kept silent.

 **But no challenge came. Peering back into his room, Rollan saw Essix roosting near the window, head tucked in sleep. He eased the door closed. The open window would allow the falcon to catch up with him.**

'Definitely,' Meilin muttered.

 **The bird might not approve of his decision, which was why he hadn't tried to explain, but she would follow. They were linked now.**

'I wouldn't be too sure about that,' Meilin said.

Rollan only rolled his eyes dramatically.

 **Along the hallway, small oil lamps trimmed to a slow burn provided dim light. Moving down the corridor, Rollan felt the alert guilt of a trespasser.**

'Rollan,' Olvan said, his voice half a growl.

'Yes?' Rollan asked, eyes widened innocently.

Olvan just sighed. 'Forget it.'

 **The late hour meant he might not encounter anyone, but if he did, he knew it would look extra suspicious. The farther he deviated from the path to the kitchen, the more conspicuous he felt. How could he answer why he was heading for the castle gate fully dressed with a satchel? Why did he need a snack when his satchel was crammed with stolen food? His responses sounded so unlikely: He couldn't relax; he felt confined; he needed some fresh air.**

'They definitely sound unlikely,' Lishay said. 'Even worse than Tarik's excuses.'

'And what are Tarik's old excuses?' Meilin asked, again.

'None of your business,' Lishay said, again.

 **Anyone with half a brain would guess the truth. He was running away.**

'Fine. I was.'

 **The thought produced a stab of remorse,**

'You deserve that,' Olvan said.

'Sorry,' Rollan said, dramatically.

 **which he tried to slung off. Had he ever asked to come here? Olvan had promised to protect him from Zerif, but who would protect him from Olvan?**

'You don't need protection from me,' Olvan said.

'Well...' Rollan said.

'Just knock it off you two,' Meilin said. 'Finn, continue please.'

 **Rollan knew that, in theory, he was a guest of the Greencloaks, but he was to feel more like a prisoner. Sure it was mostly smiles and politeness now. But the Greencloaks' expectations were his chains.**

Olvan and Lenori looked a little bit guilty.

 **How long would the friendliness last if he quit following orders? How long would it last if they caught him tonight? He and the others had returned to the fortress earlier to - once again - the weight of promising stares.**

'I guess I should apologise in a way,' Olvan said.

Before Rollan could reply, Meilin said. 'He is exaggerating a bit. Forget it.'

There was a short silence, then Finn continued reading.

 **The Greencloaks helped Conor and Meilin get settled, but no additional information was forthcoming. Rollan had asked more questions, but - once again - they were deflected. That evening, Rollan decided he had waited for specifics long enough. The more time he stayed, the clearer it became that the Greencloaks would settle for nothing less than a lifelong commitment, so they could benefit from his falcon.**

More guilty looks.

 **With Conor and Meilin here, the pressure on him would only increase. Each day he stayed implied that he meant to commit. If he wanted to get away, the time to act was now. Besides the big gate, Rollan had seen three minor gates in the outer wall. All were heavily reinforced and disguised from the outside. As far as he could tell, they only opened from within. Over the past week he had tried all of them. He knew which one he would use tonight.**

The others seemed slightly impressed by all of this, causing Rollan to get a slightly smug smile appear on his face.

 **Rollan heard the tones of a distant conversation up ahead and froze. He couldn't distinguish words, but the blurry murmuring had no urgency to it. Apparently, guards were covering the main door to the courtyard, chatting to pass the time. That was no obstacle. Too many doors led from the main building out to the courtyard for them all to be guarded. There was no war here in Amaya, and people had to sleep. Stepping lightly but swiftly, Rollan advanced along a narrow corridor toward another door that would lead outside. From up ahead a voice floated his way. 'Come on, Briggan! You don't want food; you don't want to go outside - can't this wait until morning?'**

Everybody laughed, Conor included and Rollan the most.

 **It was Conor! What was he doing up?**

'Walking away too,' Meilin said.

'No. I'm not stupid,' Conor said.

'Thank you a lot,' Rollan said.

 **Rollan slipped down a side corridor, unsure where it led. He went around a corner and paused to listen. He could barely hear the wolf, but Conor was making no effort to walk quietly. They were coming his way! Moving faster, Rollan took a couple other turns before the hall ended at a locked door. Breathing softly, he listened as Conor and the wolf got nearer and nearer. Surely they would turn a different direction! Why would they come down a dead end?**

'Rollan,' Meilin said.

'Yes?'

'Sometimes you are an idiot,' Meilin said.

Rollan was silent for a moment. 'Well, thank you.'

 **Unless the wolf was tracking him. Rollan folded his arms and leaned against the wall, hoping he could sell the idea he was just hanging around the castle.**

More laughter.

'Rollan. I'm sorry, but that is rather stupid,' Lishay said.

'Yes. Thank you.'

 **At this hour, it didn't seem very believable, but Conor didn't give the impression that he was a genius.**

More laughter, while Rollan became red.

'Rollan,' Conor said.

'I know! I'm sorry! Really!' Rollan exclaimed.

'Forget it,' Conor said, giving him a small smile.

'Thank you,' Rollan muttered. 'At least someone is nice,' he said, glaring around at the others.

'Conor. You could kick his ass for this and you don't?' Meilin exclaimed. 'You are disappointing me.'

 **Conor came into view with Briggan. The wolf stopped, staring at Rollan. Looking rumpled and tired, Conor squinted. 'Rollan? What are you doing here?' 'Couldn't sleep,' Rollan said. 'I was exploring. Why are you up so late?' Conor yawned and stretched. I was trying to sleep, but Briggan kept pawing the door.' Rollan looked at the wolf. It sat back, tongue dangling.**

A few chuckles.

 **Conor wrinkled his nose. 'Why hang out here? Are you up to something?'**

'Not so stupid right,' Abeke said.

'No,' Rollan muttered.

 **'Fine,' Rollan said, as if about to reluctantly admit the truth. 'Essix went out flying but she hasn't returned. I want to make sure she's all right.'**

A moment of silence, then again laughter.

Rollan was watching everyone, and when the laughter had died down he asked. 'Amusing?'

'A bit,' Maya said.

'Sure,' was all Rollan said.

 **'So you came here. To a dead end,' Conor clarified. 'I lost my way.' 'So you stood against a door.' Rollan thought fast. Maybe Conor wasn't so dim, after all.**

'Exactly,' Conor simply said.

Rollan raised his hands in surrender. 'I'm sorry. Can you just accept that.'

 **'I heard you coming and got embarrassed. I didn't want to seem lost. I really am concerned about Essix.'** **Conor frowned. 'If you're worried, we should tell Olvan. I'm sure he has lots of people who can help us find Essix.'**

'Not in the middle of the night,' Olvan said. 'I prefer to sleep.'

'Well how about if...' Rollan seemed deep in thought.

Before he could come up with something however, Finn continued reading.

 **Rollan hesitated. It had been a feeble excuse, but better than pretending the thought the kitchen was on this side of the castle. 'You're right. Why don't you and Briggan go tell Olvan? I want to get started on my own just in case.'**

'I got it!' Rollan suddenly exclaimed.

Everybody looked at him, some with raised eyebrows.

'What if... Lenori has a vision or something in the middle of the night and she immediately goes to tell you. Is that-'

'That's a different situation,' Olvan said. 'And it doesn't even matter. Finn, please continue reading.'

Finn did, before Rollan could start talking again.

 **Conor glanced at the satchel. 'What's in the bag?' 'Falcon food. You know... as bait.' Conor gave him a look. 'Big bag for falcon food.' Rollan sighed and gave up. 'Look, don't get Olvan.**

'Exactly,' Olvan muttered.

 **Essix is fine. I'm just... thinking about a change of scenery.' 'You're running away?' Conor blurted incredulously. Briggan cocked his head. 'I'm escaping,' Rollan clarified. 'You're not a prisoner,' Conor said. 'I'm not so sure!' Rollan replied.**

'The door is that direction,' Olvan said, nodding to it.

'I don't really need to leave now,' Rollan semi-protested, semi-said.

 **'You think they'd let me go? Just wander off with Essix?' Conor paused. 'Yeah, if you insisted.' 'How would you know? You signed up as soon as they dangled a cloak in front of you.'**

'Why did you even ask it Rollan?' Maya asked.

'No idea. Had to do something,' Rollan said.

Maya raised her eyebrows, then gestured at Finn to start reading again.

 **Conor shifted. 'I signed up after I learned that I had summoned Briggan,' he replied defensively. 'I never asked for my own Great Beast, but it happened, and now the Greencloaks need my help to protect the world.' 'From what?' Rollan scoffed. 'They still haven't explained! Not really. We hear there's a war in Zhong.**

'If you are suggesting you don't believe that,' Meilin said, glaring at Rollan.

'I do. I did. Really,' Rollan quickly said.

Meilin still glared at Rollan but gestured to Finn to read on.

 **They whisper about the Devourer. People I've never met look at me hopefully, and I have no idea what they expect. Even if my falcon really is the same Essix from the old stories, what are we supposed to do about a war?**

'Put us on the country's flag,' Rollan suggested.

'Not funny,' Meilin said.

'Okay,' Rollan said slowly, emphasising the word.

'I'm going to read,' Finn said.

 **In the stories Essix was huge and could talk. This Essix hardly seems to like me!**

'And I wonder why,' Meilin said.

 **'I wonder why,' Conor said.**

Laughter.

'Meilin, you're starting to be like Conor,' Abeke said, still half laughing.

'Am not,' Meilin muttered.

'You are,' Rollan said, grinning.

Meilin turned a death glare on him, but it didn't manage to shut him up.

When everybody had calmed down, except for Rollan, Finn started reading again.

 **Briggan gave his head a quick shake. Was the wolf laughing at them?**

'Of course,' Conor said, grinning.

 **'Watch it, sheep boy.'**

Meilin and Abeke looked at each other, and started laughing.

'Don't make us explain,' Meilin said as the others stared at them. 'It's a nickname thing.'

'Sure,' Lishay said.

 **Rollan bristled. 'You might like being herded, but that isn't my style.' 'Yeah, well, at least I don't run away the second I get scared,' Conor replied with sputtering anger.**

'I wish I had been there,' Meilin said. 'It would have been hilarious to watch.'

 **'You think this isn't hard for me? You think I don't have doubts too? You think I want to be stuck in some castle across the sea from my home? Go ahead and call me sheep boy any time you want. Herding sheep takes a lot more courage and knowledge than sneaking away in the night!'**

'Well, that's a tirade,' a voice said.

Everyone turned to the door.

Xue stood in the door opening, amusedly watching them. 'You are hilarious to watch, did you know that.'

'How long have you been standing there?' Olvan asked.

'Oh... a few minutes. Ten, fifteen or something. You just didn't notice me,' she said.

Meilin frowned, then her face lit up. 'How about you join us.'

'I don't-' Olvan started.

'Good idea,' Xue said.

'Oh dear,' Olvan muttered.

'What is wrong with her joining us?' Abeke asked.

'I know too much,' Xue said with a wink.

Abeke and Meilin shared a look.

'Nice,' Meilin said.

'About you too,' Xue said.

That made Abeke and Meilin pale a little.

'Do go on reading Finn,' Xue said.

 **Rollan found himself temporarily at a loss for words.**

'That,' Meilin said. 'Is great. Good job Conor.'

'Thank you,' Conor said.

 **If Conor was working with the Greencoaks in spite of his own doubts, because he though it was the right thing to do, well, there wasn't much fault to find in that. Not that he had to admit it. 'I just need some space,' Rollan said softly, choosing to fight honesty with honesty.**

'Can you fight with honesty?' Meilin wondered.

'Yes,' Rollan said.

 **'How am I supposed to think this through while surrounded by Greencloaks. Every meal I eat, every hand I shake, feels like pressure to join them.**

'That can sum it up,' Xue said.

 **How am I supposed to make my own choice? The Greencloaks probably aren't bad folks. But I'm not sure their interest in me goes one inch beyond the falcon.**

'It does,' Lenori said. 'Especially for one specific person.' She glanced at Meilin.

Meilin groaned. 'Not you too.'

'Well, if Lenori's starting with you two too then obviously it means you two must have some chemistry,' Abeke said.

Meilin snorted. 'Yes. We have chemistry.'

Abeke and Conor high fived.

'Chemistry for fighting,' Meilin said, smirking a little.

Abeke rolled her eyes. 'And for something else.'

'Arguing, that too indeed,' Meilin nodded.

'And something else.'

Meilin nodded. 'Me kicking his ass.'

'That's technically seen fighting,' Abeke said.

Before Meilin could say something, Lishay intervened. 'They have chemistry, let's keep it on that, and chemistry for what, you can make that up some other time.'

 **That means they're using me and that makes me cautious.' 'I hear you,' Conor said. 'Nobody paid much attention to me either, until Briggan came along. Then I was suddenly the centre of attention.' 'Doesn't that make you question their motives?' Conor gave a little nod and Briggan stared expectantly at him. 'Maybe. But I'm convinced that they're trying to defend Erdas.**

'At least someone is,' Olvan muttered.

'Let's say I'm not really getting on Olvan's good side with this chapter,' Rollan muttered to Xue.

She grinned. 'Try getting on his good side. It's too small for more than one person. And we all know who that one person is.'

 **They need Briggan, so they need me too. Besides, Briggan seems to trust them.' The wolf wagged his tail and began to pace. Rollan glanced at the corridor behind Conor. 'Whatever I choose, I guess I blew my escape tonight. You going to turn me in?'**

'Don't tell me you didn't,' Meilin said.

Conor shrugged.

 **'You haven't done anything,' Conor replied,**

'Conor. You're again disappointing me,' Meilin said.

'I'm sorry,' Conor said.

'You don't have to be,' Xue said.

'I'm not really sorry,' Conor said. 'I'm just saying it because I don't want to be on Meilin's bad side.' He grinned. 'And now I am.'

'No,' Meilin said. 'You'll probably never really be on my bad side. Unless you start stupid Reilin commends.'

Conor raised his hands. 'I won't do anything.'

'Conor!' Abeke exclaimed. 'You promised to help me.'

'Sorry.'

'Is there something I should know?' Meilin asked, glaring from Abeke to Conor to Rollan and back to Abeke.

'Nothing,' Abeke said, smirking a bit.

'Sure,' Meilin said, but she obviously didn't believe it. 'We'll talk later. Now we're going to read this damned book.'

 **meeting Rollan's eyes steadily. Rollan lowered his head and rubbed his eyebrows with his knuckles. 'I guess I could wait around to hear the specifics.' 'You could probably make a better choice that way,' Conor pointed out. 'Meanwhile, they'll have the chance to keep reeling me in,' Rollan said. I won't let them force me into this. I don't care if it gets awkward. I don't care if they lock me up.**

Many people raised their eyebrows at this.

 **Actually, if the lock me up, I'll know I made the right call.'**

'Rollan, this is ridiculous,' Olvan said.

'If you say so,' Rollan said.

'Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to lock him up,' Meilin said.

'What?!' Rollan exclaimed.

'A bit of peace and we can finish this book,' she said.

'Let's not do that,' Lenori intervened before Rollan could reply. 'Finn, go on please.'

 **Conor extended his arms an opened his mouth in a jaw-cracking yawn.**

'Not very charming Conor,' Rollan said.

Conor rolled his eyes. 'Like I care about charming. I'm not you.'

'Luckily not,' Meilin said. 'One Rollan is already difficult enough to handle.'

'Hey.'

 **'I'm glad you might stick around for now. I'd hate to be left alone with Meilin.'**

'What?!' Meilin exclaimed.

'Sorry. I mean it!' Conor said.

'I guess I'll accept that apology for now,' Meilin said.

'Unfair. You never accept my apologies,' Rollan complained.

'You don't mean them,' Meilin simply said.

'I do.'

'You don't.'

'I-' Rollan was cut off as Finn started reading again.

 **Rollan smirked. 'Does she scare you?' Conor shrugged. 'I've got two brothers. I don't know the first thing about girls.' 'I hear they like flowers.'**

'Give me a talisman rather than flowers,' Meilin murmured, chuckling.

'What did you say?' Abeke asked.

'Nothing. Personal thing,' Meilin said.

Abeke smirked.

 **'If you say so.' Conor turned and patted the side of his leg. 'Come on, Briggan, let's get back to bed. Good night, Rollan.'**

'So thanks to Briggan Rollan didn't leave that night,' Abeke said.

'Yeah. Up and above,' Conor said.

 **'Night.' He watched until Conor walked out of sight. Then Rollan reconsidered his options. He supposed he could still make his escape. But the mood had left him. Rollan started back toward his room. His secret departure may have been compromised, but all was not lost. He could always steal away some other night.**

'Well, that was the chapter,' Finn said. 'Who wants to read next?'

'I will,' Xue said, eyes shining.

'Oh no,' Olvan groaned.

'You're exaggerating,' Xue said. 'Let's see.'

* * *

 **So here it was. It didn't start off that great but I hope you enjoyed the middle and end part anyway. For now, please review to let me know what you thought of it and I'll see you all next time.**


	14. Teamwork (1)

**Hey everyone, I'm back with a new chapter. So the last time was more than a month ago, I know, and that is horrible, but please don't kill me. Because I had a lot to do... and I won't bore you all with it, just please believe me that I had. But here it is, and enjoy it!**

* * *

 **On her way to the training room, almost every single person Meilin passed stared at her. Some covertly, some unashamedly gawking.**

Xue shook her head. 'How impolite.'

 **Conversations stopped in mid-sentence when she came into view, and once she passed, whispers followed her. The few who didn't stare sent her careful glances or self-conscious waves and nods, which were almost more telling.**

'I maybe should have returned to being a Greencloak a little earlier,' Xue said.

 **Rollan was right.**

'HA!' Rollan exclaimed. 'I. Was. Right!'

Meilin groaned and dropped her head in her hands while Abeke and Conor laughed.

'Meilin thought for sure that I could never be right about something,' Rollan said, smirking, to the adults, who all looked like they didn't understand what was going on.

'Aha,' Lishay said. 'Sure.'

'I'll continue,' Xue said.

 **The Greencloaks had heavy expectations of her. Meilin entered the wide and airy room and found Conor waiting with his wolf. The training area looked almost too large - much larger than the practical space she had used with the masters back home. She guessed the vaulted ceiling was meant for Greencloaks with winged beasts.**

Rollan clapped slowly in his hands. 'Impressed.'

'Not funny Rollan,' Meilin simply said.

'I do think so,' Rollan said, nodding.

Meilin rolled her eyes and sighed. 'He is totally hopeless,' she muttered, trying her best to ignore the amused stares from the others.

 **'Glad to see you,' Conor said, rubbing his arm self-consciously. 'I was starting to worry I'd come to the wrong place.' 'I got a message with my breakfast,' Meilin said. 'They asked me to report here with Jhi as soon as I finished.' Conor nodded. 'Me too. I could hardly eat after the note.**

Rollan turned a confused and strange stare at Conor, who seemed a bit uncomfortable.

 **I can't, um, I don't know my letters very well, so I had to get help to read it.'**

Abeke flashed him a smile, and he returned it.

 **Conor reddened. 'Did it sound like a test to you?' 'Some kind of assessment.' Conor glanced at Briggan, then back at Meilin. 'I guess Jhi is on your hand?'**

'Smooth Conor, smooth,' Xue and Rollan said at the same time.

There was a moment of silence, then everyone burst out laughing.

'Xue,' Meilin managed to get out. 'You're starting to become like Rollan.'

'That is not good,' Abeke said, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes.

'Sure,' Xue said. 'I'll continue reading. If that's possible with you all,' she added quietly.

 **'She seems to prefer it much of the time.' Conor nodded, then seemed very aware that he had run out of things to say.**

Chuckles.

 **Crouching, he stroked Biggan. Meilin watched him avoid her gaze.**

'This is embarrassing,' Conor muttered.

'Only going to get more,' Xue and Rollan said.

Everybody chuckled.

'Xue, this is serious,' Meilin said.

'Just shut up,' Xue said, slightly grumpy. 'I'm reading.'

'No wait-'

'I'm reading and everybody who talks through me is going to get kicked in places they really don't want to get kicked,' Xue threatened, turning to the book.

'Jeez, no need to get grumpy,' Rollan muttered.

 **He was a simple boy, baseborn, uneducated, yet in one important way he was her peer - he had summoned one of the Four Fallen. Why him? Could it be random chance? If so, why her? Would random chance select someone as prepared for leadership as herself?**

Meilin blushed a deep red as everyone looked at her, not all very nicely.

'It's okay,' Conor said. Everyone turned to him. 'It's in the past, and… you know. We all changed and all.'

'I think I'll be nice and read,' Xue said.

 **Rollan entered the room, the falcon on his shoulder. 'Am I late?'**

Everyone laughed as they all realised how Rollan would say that.

'Yes,' Conor said. 'You were late. Logically.'

'Hey! I'm not always late,' Rollan said.

'Not always. Just ninety nine point nine percent of the time,' Abeke said.

Rollan opened his mouth, then closed it again. 'Fine.'

 **Conor looked up, relief stamped on his face. 'Glad you're here.' Some quiet understanding passed between them. What had she missed? Had they discussed her in private?**

'Yes,' Rollan said.

Meilin shot him a look. 'Very funny,' she said.

'I do think so,' Rollan said.

'You know what I realised,' Abeke said. 'Reilin conversations are always hilarious.'

'Yeah,' Conor said, nodding amused.

 **With Zhong under attack, she didn't want to spend time worrying about such trivial things.**

'Is that trivial things?' Rollan asked. 'You really need to sort your priorities.'

'The only one who needs to sort his priorities is you,' Meilin said.

'Hey!' Rollan said, indignant.

 **\- but she couldn't help it, and that annoyed her.**

'Miss Perfect isn't perfect?!' Rollan exclaimed.

'Rollan,' Meilin groaned.

'What?'

'Just… just read on Xue.'

 **'Nobody else has shown up yet?' Rollan asked. 'Not yet,' Conor said. Rollan scanned the weapons held in the racks against the walls: swords, scimitars, knives, spears, polearms, axe, staves, and clubs. 'Are we going to fight to the death?'**

'Aha. Rollan was overdramatic back then too,' Lishay said, rolling her eyes.

'Now you get what I'm stuck up with on a daily basis,' Meilin said.

'I'd nearly pity you,' Lishay said. Before Meilin could say something she added. 'I've been stuck up with him' She nodded towards Tarik. 'since we were eleven so… I don't know what's worse.'

'You love me, don't disagree with me,' Tarik said.

'You'd wish,' Lishay said, but she was blushing slightly.

'They are not flirting with each other in front of us now right?' Meilin asked.

'Totally,' Rollan said, nodding.

 **'Nothing that exciting,' Tarik said, entering the room with two other men and a woman. All three wore green cloaks and were new to Meilin. They paid rapt attention to Essix and Briggan.**

'Smooth, very smooth,' Lishay muttered.

Some of the others send her amused glances.

 **'We evaluate all new recruits to gauge their abilities.' Rollan looked at the other Greencloaks. 'Who are your friends?' 'Observers,' Tarik said calmly.**

'Smooth right?' Tarik questioned.

'Not if you say it about yourself,' Lishay said, on a duh tone.

'Why do you get such things and I do not?' Tarik asked.

'Because she is with us and you are with them,' Meilin said, pointing first at herself and Abeke and then at Rollan and Conor.

 **'They'll assist you as needed. Pay them little mind.**

'Easier said then done,' Rollan muttered.

'Luckily now there are no observers,' Tarik said.

'Usually,' Rollan said.

'That was once Rollan.'

'I still have nightmares from it.' Rollan shivered.

'You shouldn't have said that then,' Meilin commented. 'It wasn't a very nice things to say about his spirit animal and he kicked your butt for it. Seems fair.'

Everybody laughed.

 **I just want to put each of you through a few exercises.' 'Finally,' Rollan grumbled. 'somebody to stare at us.' The two men crossed to Conor and Rollan. The woman approached Meilin. She was thick but not flabby, and had a no-nonsense look about her. 'Meilin, could you produce Jhi?' Tarik asked. Meilin focused her attention on the simple tattoo on the back of her hand. When her interest was elsewhere, she hardly noticed the mark. But now she could perceive warmth beneath the image, a vague presence. She mentally called to Jhi, imagined a door opening, and then with a flash the tattoo vanished and Jhi appeared.**

'It's so alike,' Lenori softly whispered.

Meilin gave a weak smile and nodded a bit.

 **'Well done,' Tarik complimented. 'Some who have newly learned to use the passive state struggle to release their animals. You did that swiftly, which is important. While passive, your spirit animals cannot aid you.' Meilin gave a nod and a modest smile. Although accustomed to praise, she was not entirely immune to its effects. She noticed the boys, particularly Rollan, watching her enviously.**

Meilin smiled smugly at Rollan.

'Hey!' Rollan said, indignant.

 **Keeping her eyes on Tarik, she pretended not to care. 'Please allow your escorts to blindfold you,' Tarik instructed. 'We're going to test your awareness of your spirit animals without the aid of sight?' Meilin held still as the woman placed a blindfold over her eyes. 'Do you guys fight a lot with your eyes closed?' Rollan asked.**

Some people chuckled while Rollan rolled his eyes.

 **Meilin had been thinking the same thing, but she never would have said it.**

'Seriously?!' Rollan exclaimed.

'Read on Xue!' Meilin urgently said.

'This is-' Rollan couldn't finish his sentence because Xue continued reading, rather loudly, probably before Rollan could start talking and never stop.

 **'This will simulate a situation where your spirit animal is out of view,' Tarik explained patiently, as if the question had not been meant to rattle him.**

'Okay, honestly, pretty smooth,' Lishay said.

Tarik looked satisfied.

'He's all happy because his girlfriend gave him a compliment of sorts,' Rollan said, smirking.

Both Lishay and Tarik turned a crimson red. 'Shut up Rollan,' they both said at the same time.

The Four laughed at it, and Rollan managed to get out. 'They really are impossible.'

'They have a thing with saying the same thing at the same time,' Meilin explained. 'They did in in Zhong a few times too.'

'Really? When?' Xue asked.

'You weren't there,' Meilin said.

'Oh. That sucks,' Xue said.

 **'Relax and follow instructions.'**

'How I hated it when people used to say that,' Xue muttered.

 **A hand took Meilin by the elbow and led her several paces. With great care, she retained a sense of where she stood in the room. She waited for perhaps a minute. 'The animals have all changed position,' Tarik announced. 'I now challenge each of you**

'That sounds ridiculous. I challenge you,' Rollan said, chuckling.

 **to point out the location of your animal. I respectfully ask the animals to keep silent.'**

'You know what I realised,' Rollan said. 'Essix listened to him.'

 **Meilin strained all her sense but could neither hear nor smell anything. She thought about the vague presence she could feel beneath the tattoo when Jhi was in dormant state, and tried to sense a similar presence around her. Nothing.**

'And that's the difference between the Bile bond and the Nectar bond,' Meilin said. Lenori nodded.

'You know by the way who is really inhumanly good in this?' Tarik said.

'Tell us,' Rollan said. 'If he's going to say Lishay I don't know what I'm going to do.'

'No, I mean inhumanly good even for someone who has spend more than two decades with their spirit animal. Lenori.'

Everyone looked at her, and she smiled a little modestly. 'I guess.'

'I do agree with that,' Xue said, and Meilin looked at her surprised. 'You said they were bad students!'

'You said what!?' Olvan exclaimed.

'You were. You always blatantly and completely ignored a very important thing. And I will not say what that is. But I do agree that Lenori was good at such things.'

'It has something to do with the dreams,' Rollan said. 'It would explain why Conor is so good in it too.'

'Thanks for the confidence in my skills,' Conor muttered.

'Sorry, I'm just being logical,' Rollan said.

Conor raised an eyebrow.

'You can raise one eyebrow?!' Rollan exclaimed.

'Yes?' Conor questioned. 'Why?'

'I can't! It's unfair!' Rollan complained.

'Very unfair. There are worse things in life than not being able to raise one eyebrow,' Meilin said.

'I bet you can,' Rollan said.

'Yes. But this conversation is useless so let's continue the book,' Meilin said.

 **'Good, Conor. Very close,' Tarik said. Meilin kept her face composed but felt disappointed. Could Conor have a stronger connection to his spirit animal than she had to hers? He couldn't even use the passive state!**

'Not top priority to a good bond Meilin,' Xue said,

'I know,' Meilin simply said.

 **Maybe he had made a lucky guess. 'I'm sorry, Rollan, you're way off,' Tarik said. 'But good job, Conir. Briggan is moving and you're tracking him well.' Meilin silently ordered Jhi to make herself known.**

'How many times do I have to say it, ordering your spirit animal around isn't going to help at all,' Lishay said.

'Sorry. But I didn't know that back then,' Meilin said.

'It's okay.'

 **From the start, Jhi had obeyed her requests, but Meilin still felt nothing. 'Meilin,' Tarik said. 'if you're unsure, rely on your instincts.' She didn't want to point randomly, but maybe Tarik was giving her a hint. Maybe her awareness of her creature was something felt only at instinctive level. That might explain why Conor was good at it - she doubted his problem would be too much thought.**

Everybody laughed at this, while Meilin blushed a definite red.

'I don't think that anymore,' she said when everyone had quieted down.

'It's okay,' Conor said.

'It was very rude though,' Abeke said.

'Yes,' Meilin slowly said. 'I'll keep my mouth shut.'

'Good idea,' Abeke agreed.

 **Following a whim, Meilin extended a finger to the right. 'Not even close, Meilin,' Tarik said, with a touch of humour in his tone.**

Meilin sent him a death glare, and he raised his hands.

'Sorry.'

'Good idea,' Meilin muttered.

'Did you learn that death glare from Lishay or something?' Tarik asked.

'No,' Meilin slowly said.

'We just have a few similarities. Good at kicking people's butt, good at giving death glares, both having rather… different guys who like us.'

'Exactly,' Meilin agreed.

 **Meilin pointed to the left. 'Better, but still far off,' Tarik reported. Meilin had to wrok to keep her expression neutral? She silently demanded for Jhi to reveal herself. Once again, she sensed nothing.**

'But was that really because of the Bile?' Meilin asked.

'Probably mostly,' Lenori answered slowly.

'The other part was me not wanting to open up to Jhi, yeah I know,' Meilin said. She took in a deep breath. 'Okay.'

 **'Not bad, Rollan,' Tarik said. 'Not good, but you're doing too well for it to be chance. Conor, you're a natural at this.' Meilin tried not to feel flustered. She had never attempted to sense Jhi like this. Had the boys practiced? Probably.**

'Oh yes, I tied a blindfold before my eyes and send Essix up in the air and pointed at her, Rollan said. 'And the louder she screeched the closer I was.'

'I meant-' Meilin started but Rollan went on.

'I, by the way, have figured out how Conor is so good in it. He smells Briggan.'

There was a moment of silence, then everyone laughed.

'What?' Rollan asked.

'Nothing,' Conor said. 'Then Meilin should be able to do it too because Jhi smells a bit too. And Briggan doesn't smell much more,' he quickly added as Meilin raised an eyebrow to him.

'I give up,' Rollan said. 'Read on.'

 **'Care to try one more time, Meilin?' Tarik asked.**

'Not after what you did,' Meilin muttered.

 **She pulled off her blindfold. 'I feel nothing.' She looked to where Jhi strolled near one wall of the training area, led by an escort. 'It's not unusual,' Tarik told her. Meilin watched Conor's finger follow Briggan, staying on the animal even when the wolf reversed direction. Essix flew around overhead. Rollan seemed to be able to identify which half of the room the bird was in, but not much else. 'How can I improve?' Meilin asked. 'You can already call Jhi to passive state,' Tarik acknowledged. 'so earning the truth of your beast does not seem to be the problem. I imagine it will take time to strengthen your connection. Part of that includes your receptiveness to her.'**

'He got it correct in one try,' Xue said. 'It's strange how someone trained by two people who were such bad students is himself a rather good one. Although, he can learn some things too, so he isn't really…' she trailed off for a moment. 'I'll just go on reading.'

 **Meilin nodded. Jhi always obeyed her orders so what had gone wrong? Perhaps Tarik was right.**

'Tarik is always right,' Rollan said. 'Unless he says he isn't in love.'

Everyone laughed at the blush on Tarik's face and as he murmured. 'I train them and am nice to them and this is what I get back.'

 **Perhaps the panda was trying. Meilin frowned. Maybe she was the one unable to receive the cues. Aside from Jhi's obedience, they weren't very close. What would it take? Deep affection? Mutual understanding? It was hard to respect such a docile, slow animal. But Jhi was her spirit animals. There would be no other. Meilin knew she had to make it work. 'You may remove your blindfolds,' Tarik invited.**

'Why would that be an invite?' Rollan wondered out loud.

 **Meilin glanced at the weapons on the wall. The wooden swords were obviously practice gear. Many of them arms look real, though some of them could be blunted. With or without help from Jhi, Meilin expected she could dominate either of the boys in just about any form of combat.**

'Yep,' Rollan muttered, and Meilin smirked a bit.

 **Such a demonstration would be satisfying, but would it be wise? Her father had always told her to keep her abilities private so she could surprise adversaries in times of need. 'Next we'll try a physical exercise,' Tarik announced. 'All three of you will go to the far wall.' He indicated the wall he meant. 'You'll run across the room and touch this other wall as high as you can, then run back and strike the suspended bag with all your might. Ask your animals to enhance your efforts in any way they can.'**

'So you did tell them to try that,' Lishay said. 'In Zhong I kept thinking you had never said it before, until you mentioned it in the swamp.'

'Of course I did,' Tarik said. 'It's probably just that…' He stopped talking.

'Just that?' Rollan questioned, both of his eyebrows raised.

Tarik got a small smile on his face, and finished his sentence saying. 'Just that these four are a rather strange team and you should wonder if what you tell them won't go in at one ear and out at the other.'

'That isn't true,' Rollan grumbled.

'Not with me, but I could agree with you,' Meilin said.

'With all of you at some point,' Tarik said.

'We don't do that anymore,' Abeke said. 'Because if we don't listen during training two certain people will get caught up in each other instead of getting caught up in training us.'

'You have no idea how many times I have to clear my throat to get their attention back to us,' Meilin added, adressing the others.

'That's not true,' Lishay said.

'It is. Even only because you knew exactly who we were talking about,' Meilin said.

'Read on Xue,' Lishay muttered, as the others, except for Tarik, chuckled. She and Tarik were too busy trying to hide her blush.

 **Meilin surveyed the canvas bag hanging from a beam near the fall wall. Suspended by a chain, the bulging sack was taller than her and looked heavy.**

'And hits heavy,' Rollan said. 'I still couldn't get it to swing the last time we did that.'

'I could,' Meilin said triumphantly. 'And so could Conor and Abeke. I mean, not as much as Tarik, or Lishay, but pretty hard already.'

'You did well indeed,' Lishay agreed.

'And Rollan, you could get some movement in it, more than the first time,' Tarik said.

'As if that's so difficult,' Rollan muttered, but he did look a bit happier.

* * *

 **So that was it this time. How did you find it? I have summer vacation by the way so I can (probably/hopefully) update more often. But we'll have to see how it goes. I will try to update the next chapter soon. Well, review to let me know what you think, and for the rest... bye!**


	15. Teamwork (2)

**Hello to you all. Here I am, once again, with a new chapter. Hope you'll like it.**

 **P.s. To Reaper55, yes it will probably take really long until this is finished but I'll just see for how long people want this, and as long as they do I'll continue. And yes, it was a reference to book 4. I can't help putting references in this.**

 **Also, I want to say thank you to everybody who still reads this, after probably a year and a half, and to everybody who reviews. So, just thanks.**

 **And now really on to the story!**

* * *

 **'Will we do it at the same time?' Meilin asked.**

Laughter from the Four, while Tarik and Lishay shared an amused look.

'Rollan bumped in Abeke the last time,' Meilin explained when their laughter had died down.

 **'Yes,' Tarik said. 'The first to reach the bag will strike it first and so forth. We'll evaluate your speed, the height of your leap, and the force with which you hit the bag. Go ahead and take a moment with your spirit animals.' Meilin approached Jhi.**

'I always wanted to know what they said,' Rollan murmured.

'I always have wanted to know what you say to Essix,' Meilin said sharply, glaring at Rollan.

'Well, that's for me to know and for you to guess,' Rollan said with a smirk.

'Who knows,' Meilin muttered. 'These books are far from over.'

 **The panda sat on her hind legs and watched her serenely. Jhi licked one of the forepaws. The relaxed attitude did little to boost Meilin's confidence. 'Can you help me with this?' Meilin asked. 'Can you give me extra speed? Extra energy? I've never felt that from you. This might be a good time to start.' The panda cocked her head as if mildly perplexed. 'Look,' Meilin whispered harshly.**

'I know, it doesn't work like that,' Meilin started before anyone else could. 'I learned my lesson.'

Some of the others, those who wanted to say something about it, shared an amused look.

 **'Every minute we are stuck here in training is another minute that my father and his army have to struggle without us. I know you have power - you're a Great Beast. So I need you to help me, because every delay helps our enemy. Do you understand? We're not playing a game here. We are at war.'**

Meilin chose to ignore the raised eyebrows clearly meant for her.

 **Did Meilin sense a degree of understanding in that unblinking silver gaze? Or was it imagined? The boys were heading to the wall, so Meilin trotted to join them. Her body was in good condition. Even though it had been a few weeks since a formal training session with the masters, she engaged in regular routines while traveling to maintain her reflexes and endurance. The boys were taller, but she wasn't slow, and she knew how to deliver vicious blows.**

'Yep,' Rollan muttered.

'Thank you Rollan, for that compliment,' Meilin said with a sweet smile.

Rollan blushed, making Meilin smirk a little and the others laugh.

 **Briggan paced along one of the side walls, watching the three with a predator's intensity.**

'We know that,' Rollan said, shuddering slightly.

'Don't tell me that you…' Lenori broke off when she saw Rollan's expression. 'Oh no. Why am I not even surprised?'

'Indeed,' Meilin said.

'I plan to tell wolves from now on how much I respect them, and how beautiful they are, instead of saying they can sometimes look like an oversized rabbit.'

'Seriously Rollan?' Lishay raised an eyebrow. 'An oversized rabbit?'

'Or bunny? Whichever you choose.'

Briggan growled slightly at that, low in his throat, causing Rollan to move his hands to the back of his pants as if a part had been bitten out of there. The gesture didn't go unnoticed.

'I don't think I want to know,' Lishay said.

'Good idea.' Meilin nodded in agreement.

'Good wolf,' Rollan said.

 **Essix flew up to roost on the beam above the suspended bag. Jhi sat where Meilin had left her, looking on silently. Rollan smirked at her.**

'When doesn't he?' Meilin muttered.

'Good question,' Abeke said.

'Sometimes I think that is his normal expression you know,' Meilin told her. When she saw everyone looking at them she said. 'Read on.'

 **'Did you have to run much in your palace?' 'I didn't live in a palace,' Meilin replied. It was rue, although she realised her home would probably look like a palace to Rollan or Conor. Assuming it still stood.**

Some people chuckled at Xue's (slightly) sarcastic tone at the last sentence.

 **'I run fine,' Conor volunteered. 'I haven't done it much lately. How about you, Rollan?' 'Orphans run well,' he replied. 'A slow orphan ends up in jail.'**

'Weren't you just in jail?' Lishay asked, slightly smirking.

'Shut up,' Rollan muttered.

'That's no way to talk to me,' she replied.

'That's no way to talk to anyone,' Meilin said, and Lishay nodded in agreement.

'I am the summoner of Essix,' Rollan put in.

'So?' Meilin and Lishay questioned at the same time.

'So I have special… somethings. Ask you tutors for some fancy word which fits there,' Rollan said after a moment.

Meilin and Lishay glanced at each other briefly, then looked back to Rollan. 'Dream on,' they said at the same time again.

 **'Weren't you just in jail?' Meilin asked innocently.**

Before Xue had well finished the sentence everybody broke out in laughter, she too.

When it had died down a bit, Olvan said. 'Lishay, you're becoming like Meilin.'

'Well that's always better than becoming like Rollan,' she replied.

Olvan raised his eyes to the sky. 'Whatever.'

 **'Are you ready?' Tarik called.**

Nope,' Rollan muttered. 'But I guess we must.'

 **One Greencloak observer stood by them against the starting wall. Another was positioned by the wall where they would jump. And the third waited near the hanging sack. All three kids touched the wall behind them. 'Get ready,' Tarik said. 'And… go!' Meilin pushed off and ran as fast as she could. In her mind, she asked Jhi for greater speed, feeling somewhat ridiculous. It was hard to imagine extra speed coming from the sluggish panda. With swift spirit animals, Conor and Rollan had more cause for faith. Meilin ran well, but as she approached the wall for the jump, Rollan was a few paces ahead,**

Rollan shot Meilin a triumphant glance, which she decided to ignore.

 **and Conor was about even with her. The dash felt like nothing beyond a regular sprint. Meilin considered the jump.**

'How do you have time to consider the jump?' Rollan asked.

'Think fast. Although that is imaginably difficult for you, I understand,' Meilin said.

Rollan raised his eyebrows, then nodded. 'Sure. Xue, read on.'

 **If the boys tried to leap high, it might slow their turn. If she focused on turning around quickly, she might gain ground and perhaps make it first to the hanging bag. Then again, if the jump counted for a third of her score, a weak jump might guarantee last place even if she hit the bag hard.**

'I tried,' Tarik muttered.

Lishay patted his upper arm. 'I'm sure you did. Girls sometimes simply need… a woman to influence them, during training. You can try that with the boys. At least Conor, I don't really know about Rollan.'

'No one can influence me,' Rollan said, with a smirk. 'I decide for myself.'

'Sure,' Meilin muttered.

'By the way, I really doubt that you could have thought all of that in a few seconds,' Rollan said.

'I could,' Meilin said, emphasising "I".

 **Ahead of her, Rollan slowed a little and jumped, slapping the wall as high as he could. It was a respectable jump, but nothing extraordinary. Meilin decided to go for it. As she leaped, Meilin felt a strange surge of energy, and kicked off the wall to increase the height of her jump. Conor sprang beside her, and although he was taller, she slapped the wall higher.**

'I kind of wish I could have been there,' Abeke suddenly said.

 **After landing she turned and rand hard. Conor was behind her now. Rollan was a good four paces ahead and going strong. A piercing howl cut through the room.**

'Briggan,' Rollan whispered dramatically

 **Briggan.**

Some people chuckled when Rollan wiggled his eyebrows.

 **Though Meilin tried to ignore the noise, goose bumps rose on her arm.**

'Always the drama queen,' Rollan whispered dramatically.

Meilin frowned. 'Are you talking about Briggan? Or me? Or perhaps yourself?'

'Briggan,' Rollan said. 'Definitely Briggan.'

 **Conor streaked past Meilin and passed Rollan as well. He reached the bag several steps ahead of Rollan, jumped, and slammed into it with his shoulder.**

Conor rubbed his shoulder, as if he could feel it again.

 **He rebounded roughly, spinning to the floor, and the bag only jounced a little.**

'Lesson learned,' Rollan said. 'Don't slam into it with your shoulder.'

'Don't punch it either,' Meilin said.

Rollan made a face towards her.

 **Meilin realised she needed to take care how she hit the bag. It was clearly heavy.**

'And now she is going to think "quickly" again,' Rollan said.

 **She would treat it like she was striking a wall. Rollan threw a punch at the bagas he ran by. The bag absorbed the impact as if it were nothing. At least Conor had moved it.**

Meilin shot a triumphant glare towards Rollan, but before she could say something, Xue's voice said curtly. 'Silence.'

That shut them both up.

 **Begging for energy from Jhi, Meilin left the ground and kicked with both legs. The massive bag swayed with the impact, but not a lot. She broke her fall with her hands and rose to her feet, panting. 'Are you all right, Conor?' Tarik asked. He rose gingerly, rubbing his shoulder. 'I'm okay.'**

'But I'd been better,' Conor commented.

'And worse,' Meilin said.

To that he nodded.

 **'You might have warned us it was full of rocks,' Rollan complained, massaging his wrist.**

'Who is the drama queen now?' Meilin asked.

Rollan made a face to her again, causing Meilin to smirk slightly.

 **'Sand,' Tarik clarified. 'Thoughts?' '** **Not much beyond their natural talents,' the female Greencloak said.**

Rollan opened his mouth as if to say something, but shut it after a moment thought. It looked a bit ridiculous and some people chuckled.

 **'Except toward the end of Conor's run,' one of the other Greencloaks pointed out. 'How did that feel?' Tarik asked.**

'Fantastic,' Conor muttered sarcastically, earning several chuckles and smiles.

 **'When Briggan howled?' Conor asked. 'I don't know - it was like I had the wind at my back. I felt more aggressive.**

'Aggressive? You?' Rollan choked out over his laughter.

'Yes,' Conor said, calmly.

Rollan eventually stopped laughing when Xue started reading again.

 **I wasn't planning to ram the sack, but it felt right.' He grimaced. 'Until I hit it.'**

Everyone chuckled.

 **The Greencloak near the jumping wall spoke up. 'Meilin may have had a little boost when she jumped.' 'Did you feel it, Meilin?' Tarik asked. 'Maybe a little,' she replied. 'To be honest, I mostly felt on my own.' 'If the panda had helped, she would have gone slower,' Rollan joked.**

Some people rolled their eyes while Rollan just shrugged. 'It's true.'

'Take that back,' Meilin said, already gotten up from her chair.

'I take it back! Of course. Just kidding,' Rollan quickly said, leaning back in his chair as much as possible.

'Good.' Meilin sat down again.

 **'You certainly punched like a bird,' Meilin shot back. 'It was hard as a feather.'**

Meilin smirked at Rollan, who made another face to her.

 **'Whoa,' Rollan said, raising both hands. 'Better not pick on the panda.' 'No squabbling,' Tarik ordered. 'Your relationships with your animals are individual in nature. This isn't a contest. I mainly wanted to make each of you more aware of your spirit animal and how you might learn to help one another.'**

'You know what I realised,' Rollan said. 'When Tarik starts talking in the book no one interrupts him.'

'It's an authority,' Tarik said.

Rollan frowned, overthinking that.

 **Meilin fought a stab of anger. The training exercises had only emphasised the worthlessness of her relationship with Jhi. If this was all the panda had to offer, she had made a huge mistake leaving Zhong.**

'I did not say that,' Meilin said. 'Or well, I did but… I was… forget it,' she finished, fighting the slight blush.

 **How could she have abandoned her father and her homeland for this? 'Are we done?' Conor asked. Tarik exchanged nods with the other Greencloaks. 'We've seem enough for now.' 'What does it look like when you hit the bag?' Rollan challenged. Tarik glanced at the other Greencloaks, then at the kids. 'You'd like a demonstration.'**

'This is going to get good,' Tarik said, not being able to help himself from glancing at Lishay, and away from her when she was watching him with an amused expression.

'Someone wants to set an impression,' Meilin said/sang.

Abeke chuckled. 'Totally. But does he need to?'

'Yes,' Lishay said, with still the same amused expression.

'Really?' Abeke and Meilin asked at the same time, eagerly.

Lishay's eyes widened slightly when she realised what she had said, then she sighed. 'Not in that way.' But it sounded rather unconvincing.

Meilin and Abeke high fived.

 **Meilin sighed softly. The las thing she wanted after her lacklustre showing was to watch an expert in action. But the boys encouraged him. With a flash, a sleek otter appeared. Rollan chocked back a laugh. 'Your spirit animal is an otter?'**

'What is wrong with that?' Tarik asked.

'Well, the fact that you are all serious and an otter is all playful,' Rollan suggested.

'I'm not all serious,' Tarik protested.

Several people raised their eyebrows, or one eyebrow in some cases.

'He's got a point,' Lishay said. 'He wasn't always all serious.'

'Yeah, maybe not when you were our age, but you never tell us anything about that time so we can't know,' Meilin said. 'So to us, Tarik is all serious.'

'I'm not,' Tarik said. 'I sang a song about seal brains in Arctica.'

Everybody who hadn't been present there raised their eyebrows, while Lishay groaned. 'He did that?'

'Yes,' Rollan said. 'So you once weren't all serious. But the rest of the time you are.'

'Do we want to know?' Olvan asked.

Maya shook her head. 'No you don't.'

'Aha. I'll continue to read then,' Xue said.

 **'Lumeo is more clown than beast,' Tarik explained.**

'Remember all those times he's in my closet,' Lishay said, smiling.

Tarik nodded, smiling too. 'He seems to have a habit with doing that every week or so.'

'Lumeo is a Larik shipper,' Meilin exclaimed.

'A what?' Tarik and Lishay asked at the same time.

'A Lishay-and-Tarik-are-meant-to-be-if-only-they-would-admit-it-themselves otter,' a voice said from behind them.

Everybody turned, seeing Kalani leaning against the doorpost.

'Hey Kalani,' Meilin and Abeke greeted.

'Hey girls? Are you still having a hard time getting Larik to exist?' Kalani asked.

'What do you think?' Meilin said. 'Those two are as stubborn as anything.'

'Wait,' Lishay said. 'Larik is me and Tarik?'

'Duh,' Kalani said. 'What else? The name for your first child?'

Both of them blushed.

'I don't know what you're doing but it sounds fun so I'll join in,' Kalani said. 'And as queen, I can.'

Xue winked at her. 'Good one. I'll continue reading.'

Kalani shot Meilin and Abeke a questioning glare.

'We're reading books about our adventures,' Abeke explained.

'But in this tempo we'll probably finish the first book by the time we're all long gone,' Meilin said. 'Nonetheless, it is pretty fun.'

 **The otter rolled into a series of acrobatics, its long body twisting and twirling like the tail of a kite. Conor clapped.**

'Of course only Conor clapped,' Rollan said.

'Why not you?' Meilin asked.

'I'm used to crazy things,' Rollan simply said. 'Don't get me started:-'

'Rhinoceros riders, Conor in a skirt, a city made of ice,' Kalani said. 'I remember it all. The Conor in a skirt though…' She frowned, looking at Conor.

'What's strange about rhinoceros riders exactly?' Lishay asked.

'What isn't,' Rollan said, shrugging. 'And I had to say something.'

'I'm reading,' Xue announced, after she had rolled her eyes.

 **'All right,' Tarik told his beast indulgently. 'We all know you're the biggest showoff here. Do you mind lending me some help for a moment?'**

Lishay couldn't help but smile a little.

 **The otter jolted upright to attention, and then watched as Tarik walked to the wall where the others had started their race. Meilin gasped when he started running. Nobody could accelerate so quickly! When he reached the wall, he kicked against it thee times, gaining altitude with each step, before slapping a spot more than twice as high as anyone else had reached. As he fell, Tarik pushed off from the wall, did a backflip, and landed running. When he reached the hanging bag, his punch made it leap and quake. Then he turned away from the swinging bag.**

'Who's the biggest showoff now?' Lishay asked, hitting her shoulder against his.

'Yeah yeah,' Tarik muttered. 'I just felt like doing that.'

'Just like Conor felt like ramming the bag with his shoulder,' Rollan said. 'Sometimes you simply shouldn't do things which you feel like doing.'

'Listen who's saying that,' Meilin said.

'Problem my Lady Panda?' Rollan asked, with his most charming smile.

'You,' Meilin simply said, then added. 'Please read on Xue.'

 **'Amazing!' Conor said. Rollan clapped as well, and gave a whistle.**

'He couldn't help it of course,' Meilin said.

Rollan just shrugged.

 **Meilin decided she had better offer some applause or she would look like a poor sport.**

Rollan wanted to say something but shut his mouth when he saw Meilin's... rather angry expression.

 **The display really had been quite impressive.**

'How did you do it?' Rollan asked.

'Practice,' was Tarik's simple answer.

Rollan scowled

 **She would never have guessed that the tall warrior could move with such speed and agility. Tarik extended a hand to his otter. 'Lumeo deserves the accolades.**

'Who in the world still uses the word accolades?' Lishay asked.

Tarik blushed a little, and Abeke, Conor, Rollan, Meilin and Kalani laughed.

'Tarik still uses it. When he is all serious,' Rollan said.

 **Without him,**

'You would have been dead now,' Lishay finished.

'That too probably,' Tarik admitted.

 **I could not have done any of that. We're a team, just as you are with your animals. Explore the connection, and you will be rewarded.' 'Impressive,' Meilin conceded. 'But I feel like we're getting distracted. Zhong is under attack. People are dying. Who knows how many cities have fallen by now?**

'One every minute,' Rollan said softly.

Meilin tried to scowl at him, but instead found herself smiling a little. She bit her lip, hoping he hadn't seen it.

He had, but only let it show by a quick smirk, which caused Meilin to blush. She couldn't help it.

 **I've come a long way in good faith, but I'm starting to wonder how my presence in Amaya is helping the war un Zhong. When will we learn what you Greencloaks want from us?**

Xue raised her eyebrows a little.

 **I didn't cross Erdas to run races and kick sacks of sand.'**

'No. That would be bad,' Xue murmured before she continued reading again.

 **'Soon,' Tarik promised. 'Olvan is finalising his plans. You three have no idea how vital you are. We have to use you correctly.**

'And that was definitely the wrong thing to say,' Lishay said.

Tarik opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again and just shook his head.

Meilin and Abeke rolled their eyes at each other.

 **And you must try your best to be ready.'**

Lishay just shook her head.

 **Tarik and the other Greencloaks departed. Meilin avoided further conversation with Conor and Rollan by heading directly to Jhi, who had rolled over onto her back, her legs splayed ridiculously.**

Some people chuckled, as if they could picture it in front of them.

 **'Let's get back to our room,' she told the panda. Jhi looked up expectantly. Meilin raised her hand. 'You want a lift?' Guess what? As a reward for all your help, you get to walk today.'**

All of the adults were glaring at Meilin, who decided to look at the floor in shame.

 **Meilin started toward her room, not caring wether the panda followed or not.**

'What a nice ending,' Rollan broke through the long silence.

'Right,' Xue said. 'Kalani, do you want to read?'

'Yes. Sure,' Kalani said.

* * *

 **So that was it. I hope you liked the chapter. And, of course, here is Kalani. Since somebody wanted her I decided it was fun to add her. Review please. Pretty please. Thanks!**


	16. The Island (1)

**Hello to you all. Here I am, once again, with a new chapter. Hope you'll like it.**

 **P.s. To Lionrulersroar, I will probably bring in Monte and Barlow sometime, maybe when they appear. I know Barlow is dead but so is Tarik, and in my world I decided they won't be dead since it makes everything more fun.**

 **Also, to a guest, yes Finn is still in the room. Everyone still is, but it's difficult to give everyone text in every chapter. It's easier to give them something to say when they're in the book they're reading. And I promise I will get to more books than just Wild Born, if you all want to.**

* * *

 **By the glow of a large yellow moon, Abeke crept along the rooftop behind Uraza, breathing softly.**

'What?' Rollan asked.

 **From the high vantage, she could see the lagoon where their ship had docked.**

'Are you going to escape?' Rollan asked, eagerly.

Abeke simply smiled mysteriously and shrugged.

Rollan squinted his eyes, then gestured for Kalani to continue.

 **The warm, humid air carried the rich smell of jungle foliage,**

Rollan frowned. 'You know the jungle isn't a place I would escape into. There's all sorts of irritating creatures, leeches, or those stinging ants.' He suddenly frowned deeply while the other three started laughing. Tarik and Lishay shared an amused smile.

'I do not wish to talk about that,' Rollan muttered.

'What happened?' Finn asked.

'He sat in a few of those irritating ants,' Lishay explained.

'A few! An entire nest! My entire bu- someplace was red and stinging!' Rollan exclaimed, causing everyone to start laughing now. 'Oh shut up all of you,' he muttered.

When the laughter died down Xue said with a twinkle in her eye. 'I take it you're still traumatised by it.'

'Yes,' Rollan said. 'Forever. Just like the walrus.'

A few chuckles, and Kalani started reading again.

 **mingled with the salty tang of the sea.**

Kalani smiled a little.

 **According to Shane, they were on an island in the Gulf of Amaya, on the far side of the ocean from Nilo. She had secretly explored part of it on two previous outings,**

'So you weren't escaping,' Rollan said.

'No,' Abeke answered. 'Not yet.'

'You tried to escape?' Rollan asked.

'No,' Abeke said.

'Oh,' Rollan nearly sounded sad.

 **confirming that it was at least a peninsula. As she had been asleep when the ship made port, tonight she would see for herself that she was truly on an island. Not that she doubted Shane, it just gave her something to do. She had never been on an island before.**

For some reason Conor felt warm inside of him, and he smiled at Abeke, who returned his smile, only slightly hesitantly.

 **Uraza leaped down from the roof to the top of the wall. It was not a serious drop, but the landing was barely three handspans wide. As Abeke paused, Uraza looked back up at her, eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Abeke felt a steadying surge of ability. The tension departed from her muscles, leaving her relaxed and limber. Her balance steadied, and she concentrated on the night sounds of the island, at creatures scurrying, the call of a bird, and a hushed conversation below, perhaps on a balcony, perhaps on the ground.**

Abeke smiled a little, as if the memory was a nice one.

 **Abeke landed lightly on the wall, then hurried to where it joined the outer wall of the complex. After climbing a little, she dangled from the wall and dropped to the sandy ground. Nobody had seen her escape -**

'No surprise,' Rollan murmured.

Abeke shot him a smirk.

 **not that it mattered. If she got caught, the only penalty would be the sting of failure. She was hungry for practice. Her training with Shane was useful but artificial. These nighttime excursions with Uraza felt much more authentic.**

'I bet something dangerous is going to happen,' Rollan said.

Abeke just shrugged, with the same mysterious smile as earlier, and Rollan groaned in irritation.

 **Abeke followed Uraza into a ferny shadow world of tall trees with enormous leaves. She was not used to such lush vegetation, to vines and creepers, or to so many trees crowded together,**

Lishay smiled a little.

 **but supposed the wetness in the air explained why plants thrived here. Since her arrival, it had already rained twice - short, hard downfalls that came on with little warning and ended just as swiftly. Abeke wished that she could send some of the abundant water to her village.**

Abeke frowned slightly, but quickly pushed it away.

 **The stronghold where they were staying disappeared behind them. Situated just inland from the sheltered inlet where the whale-towed ships**

'Aha. That's how you knew,' Rollan exclaimed.

'I already told you that remember,' Abeke said.

'When?' Rollan frowned.

'When we were getting Rumfuss talisman,' Finn explained.

'How do you know that?' Abeke asked.

'Just because you didn't hear me doesn't mean I wasn't there,' he said with a mysterious near smile.

Rollan raised his eyebrows. 'Oh no,' he muttered.

 **were anchored, the wall outpost contained the only buildings she had found on the island. 'Uraza, this way,' Abeke said, pointing. The leopard had been veering toward the highlands they had already explored. 'I want to see the far side of the island.' The big cat moved off in the desired direction. The rustling of shrubs and the cries of birds did little to disturb Abeke. She would never have ventured into this jungle alone at night, but with Uraza at her side, she felt invincible.**

'Let's not exaggerate,' Lishay said.

'I know,' Abeke said. 'I was a bit-'

'Something happened,' Rollan said before she could add what she wanted to.

'Maybe,' Abeke said, again with the mysterious smile.

 **They prowled unhurriedly, whispering through the foliage like ghosts. Falling into an almost trancelike state, Abeke mimicked Uraza, pausing when she paused, advancing when she advanced. Through their bond, Abeke studied the leopard's techniques while borrowing her sharper senses and innate stealth.**

'She means she's turning into a leopard,' Rollan said dryly.

Meilin and Abeke both rolled her eyes, and said. 'Seriously Rollan?'

'Yep,' he said cheerfully.

 **After some time, they emerged from the trees to climb a long slope that grew steeper as they followed it. The bushes were smaller here, affording Abeke a long view of the dark forest behind her, the lights of the little outpost reduce to orange sparks near the lagoon.**

Lishay suddenly shot a glance at Tarik, and he met their eyes, a smile breaking out over their faces.

Abeke and Meilin saw it, and asked at the same time.

'Something to tell?'

'Not to you,' Lishay said, shaking her head.

'To me perhaps?' Olvan suggested, an eyebrow raised.

'No. Not to you either. Or anybody else here,' Lishay added.

'We'll get it out of you,' Abeke simply said. 'Patience.'

 **From the bare ridge top, Abeke got her first view of the farthest side of the island. The opposite slope descended sharply onto the sea. By the moonlight, she could discern the coastline, partly shielded from the open water by long sandbars. There was no other land in sight.**

'So actually an island,' Rollan said.

Abeke nodded.

 **Her eyes were drawn to a pale beach in a certain cove, due to the presence of two bonfires. To blaze so brightly at this distance, the fires had to be an impressive size. Fogures moved on the beach, darks specks occasionally illuminated by the firelight. 'Look down there,' Abeke whispered. 'Who could that be?'**

'Something bad,' Rollan said.

Aneke didn't reply.

'Yes, something bad,' Rollan repeated.

 **Crouching low, Uraza watched warily beside her. Abeke squinted, straining her sight. 'Hard to tel from up here. They're long way from the outpost. Could it be pirates? Shane said all ship have to watch out for pirates lately.' Uraza remained still beside her.**

'She thinks, we're talking about Shane, I'm not gonna reply,' Rollan said.

The other three chuckled.

'Who knows,' Abeke said.

 **Abeke wondered if Shane's people knew they were sharing the island. Could the figures on the beach pose a threat? It seemed unlikely. There were dozens of people at the sturdy outpost, many of them armed soldiers and most with spirit animals.**

'Or Bile animals,' Abeke muttered.

 **Three big ships waited in the lagoon. Shane had mentioned others coming soon, distinguished visitors. Could it be them on the beach? Wouldn't visitors come directly to the lagoon? 'I don't like this,' Abeke murmured. 'I don't want to risk anybody sneaking up on Shane and his people.**

'Why not?' Rollan asked cheerfully. 'We'd be done with him immediately.'

Abeke forced out a smile, but didn't seem really that happy.

 **Think we could get close without being spotted?'**

'Bad idea,' Rollan said.

'Says the person who is the king of bad ideas,' Abeke said.

'Well, yeah. I know when something is a bad idea. I'd do it too so it is a bad idea,' Rollan said.

Abeke only shook her head.

 **In reply, Uraza flicked her tail and started down the slope toward the cove. Abeke followed. Soon they passed beneath trees again. Abeke took extra care to move silently. This was mo longer a game. The people on the beach could be dangerous. A balmy breeze ruffled the surrounding leaves, bringing the faint smell of smoke. Abeke welcomed the breeze - it would further disguise any sounds they made.**

Lishay and Finn shot her an approving glance, then realised they both did it and chuckled. Well, Lishay chuckled, Finn simply smiled a little.

 **After a considerable hike, the smoke grew stronger and Abeke could hear distant conversations. Then, from up ahead, a shriek pierced the night.**

Some people frowned.

 **A second shriek came, less trident, followed by a third. Abeke held her breath, kneeling down beside Uraza. The cries stopped. The shrieks had not sounded human, nor did they match any animal she could think of, but they sounded desperate.**

Lenori gasped, met Abeke's gaze, who nodded slightly. Lenori shook her head. 'Go on,' she said.

 **Uraza started forward again. They advanced more cautiously than ever, a little at a time, finally coming close to the beach. Together, Abeke and Uraza crept as close as they dared, gazing put from the last dense foliage beneath the shadow of the trees. The twin bonfires burned wide and tall, like small huts accidentally set ablaze. By the rippling light, Abeke saw six large caged, and perhaps ten men. Four of the cages contained monstrous beasts:**

Now more people understood what it was, and they all frowned, pained.

 **one was feathery, some gargantuan bird of prey; another had quills like a porcupine but was nearly the size of a buffalo; a third held a huge coiled snake, probably some kind of constrictor;**

Lenori shivered.

 **and the fourth housed what appeared to be a muscular rat big enough to bring down an antelope.**

'They were testing the Bile,' Olvan murmured.

Abeke and Lenori nodded.

 **An ordinary dog paced inside one of the other cages, looking small and scared compared to the neighbouring monstrosities. The sixth cage stood empty.**

Some people shivered, clearly not wanting to know what happened to whatever had been in that.

 **A man in a hooded cloak approached the empty cage with a rat in his hand. The rodent was bug, but nothing like the unnatural rat nearby. 'Let's double the amount on this one and check for differences,' he said.**

Everyone had a frown on their face now, or something like this, and they all seemed touched by what was happening.

 **'Large or small, a dose is a dose,' a bald man protested. 'We have plenty,' the hooded man countered. 'We lost the parrot, so we have an extra cage. Let's find out firsthand.'**

'How-' Lenori didn't seem able to continue her sentence, just shook her head and gestured for Kalani to continue.

 **Abeke had to strain, but she felt sure that she heard the words correctly. The hooded man produced a waterskin and upended it over the mouth of tha rat in his other hand. The rat squirmed, tail whipping from side to side. 'That's enough,' one of the other men growled. 'Cage it,' another man demanded. 'Not yet,' the hooded man said, capping the waterskin. 'If I'm too hasty, it will run out between the bars.' He held out the rat for the other man to see. It wriggled in his grasp, seeming to swell. It began squirming harder, screeching in pain.**

Everyone was silent, just listening. Right now, no one felt like commenting on anything.

 **The hooded man turned and stuffed the rat between the bars of the empty cage. The rodent writhed on the cage floor, new flesh bursting out beneath its fur. It let out a tormented shriek that Abeke recognised.**

'How can people do that?' Lenori breathed out.

Some of the others shook their heads, shrugging, obviously not understanding either.

Olvan gently took her hand in his, and she turned her head to look at him, taking his hand a bit firmer in hers.

 **It squealed one more time, then lunged against the bars, its enlarged body bloated with muscle. The rat tested the bars several times, rocking the cage and kicking up sand before settling down. Abeke could hardly trust her eyes.**

Conor met Abeke's eyes, staring at her for a moment then asking. 'You… you really saw that?'

Abeke nodded sadly.

 **What would Shane think when she told him about this?**

'He would think it normal,' Conor said harshly.

Abeke winced, and Conor frowned. 'Sorry,' he muttered.

'It's okay,' she said, shaking it off. 'You're probably right.'

After a few seconds of silence Kalani continued reading.

 **Would he believe her? She glanced over at Uraza. 'You're my only witness,' she whispered. 'You see this, don't you? It isn't natural. What did they give it?'**

'Bile,' Meilin muttered sadly.

The others nodded.

Everyone was silent for a few moments, then Kalani broke through the silence by starting to read again.

 **To be continued... Okay, so I have the idea that maybe this was a bit short but I don't know and I have also not updated for a few weeks, so I felt like I should, and this is it. Next chapter will hopefully be up soon. So until then.**

 **P.s. And maybe make me happy by a few reviews? That would be great again! Thanks!**


	17. Message

**Hey guys,**

 **Here I am again. I have a little message, I am kind of rewriting the first chapters, checking for errors and fixing all the mistakes. When I'm done with that I will come with a new chapter.**

 **I just wanted to say that I am going on with this story, but I think first want to edit everything before the new chapter comes up.**


	18. The Island (2)

**Hello everyone. It's been a long time, three months or something and I'm finally done with correcting all the previous chapters and writing this new one. So... here it is. It isn't very exciting in my opinion but I can promise the next one will be better. So, here we go.**

* * *

 **Uraza only looked her way for an instant, then returned her attention to the beach.**

'This is more important than you Abeke,' Rollan said jokingly.

 **'What did I tell you?' the bald man said. 'A dose is a dose. The amount doesn't matter.' 'This one is a little larger,' the hooded man said. 'And if you ask me, the transformation took less time.' 'Waste of effort. Let's finish this.'**

Everyone was silent, too caught up in the book to comment.

 **This one should be simplest,' the hooded man said. 'Admiral is well trained. He may even remain so after the Bile.' 'I'll believe it when I see it,' the bald man said. The hooded man held up his waterskin. 'Get ready to eat your words.'**

The silence was broken by Rollan suddenly bursting out laughing.

Everyone looked at him, some annoyed, some surprised.

'Uh Rollan?' Abeke asked.

'Yes?' Rollan's laughter died down, and he looked at Abeke in question.

'What was that for?' Abeke asked.

'Well, eating your words,' Rollan said. 'That just sounds strange.'

Some people raised their eyes, and Kalani muttered dryly. 'I'll just continue reading.'

 **He walked over to the cage with the dog inside. 'Sit, Admiral.' The dog sat. 'Speak.' The dog barked, and wagged his tail. The hooded man uncapped the waterskin and held it between the bars. 'Come.' The dog came forward and the man poured some fluid into its mouth.**

Lenori closed her eyes briefly, pain etched on her face. She wasn't the only one.

 **Abeke could see some splashing free. Then he backed away. Several other men stepped closer to the cage, warily clutching long spears. One held a bow with an arrow set to the string. Abeke didn't want to watch,**

Abeke closed her eyes tightly, as if trying to unwatch the image.

 **but couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight of the dog convulsing and enlarging. It didn't cry out like the rat, but it whined softly. As the dog changed, its muscles pulled taut, bulging grotesquely. Its eyes grew fierce and wide, and foam began frothing from the corners of its mouth.**

'Gross,' Rollan couldn't help but mutter.

 **The dog let out a low growl before launching itself against the side of the cage, very nearly toppling it over onto its side. 'Sit, Admiral,' the hooded man called from a distance.**

'Coward,' Meilin muttered. 'I hope he gets eaten.'

 **The monstrous dog shifted into a sitting position. 'Speak.' The beefy dog let out a powerful bark that resonated through the jungle, sending birds flying from the tress. 'Good boy, Admiral,' the hooded man called. 'Good boy.' 'All right, I'm impressed,' the bald man admitted. 'But I wouldn't let it out without a leash.' Some of the other men chuckled. Most still held their weapons cautiously. A swirling breeze stirred the air.**

'Oh dear,' Lishay muttered, glancing at Abeke, who nodded once.

 **Suddenly the dog whipped its head toward the jungle, staring directly at Abeke. It let out a rumbling growl.**

The tension in the room changed.

 **Some of the men glanced in the direction the dog was staring. Abeke resisted the urge to immediately retreat. If she moved while their eyes were on her, she would give away for sure. She had to rely on the leaves and the shadows.**

Finn gave Abeke an appreciating glance and she smiled a little in return.

 **The dog's growl built into a series of vicious barks. 'What is it, Admiral?' the hooded man called, following the animal's gaze. The huge dog barked more fiercely. 'No, no, no,' Abeke whispered.**

Conor started to look worried.

 **The dog began to savagely ram the sides of the cage. The men were shouting to each other, but Abeke couldn't make out their words under the noise. Barking and thrashing, the dog went into a frenzy. The cage shuddered violently. The dog began bashing the roof, and the wood began to crack and splinter.**

'I have, with my brilliant interception skills, the idea this is going to go wrong,' Rollan said.

Everybody raised their head at the same time, and it looked quite funny. So Rollan started laughing, unstoppable.

Everyone frowned, then Xue said. 'I suggest we let him rage out.'

'Good idea,' Meilin decided. 'Read on Kalani.'

 **Abeke felt sharp teeth on her arm.**

'I predict; a second dog,' Rollan said. He had stopped laughing.

 **Uraza was gently biting her. Once Abeke noticed her, the leopard slunk back deeper into the trees. Abeke joined her retreat. The wild clamour continued behind her, and then there was a violent crack. Glancing over her shoulder, Abeke saw the enormous hound crash through the roof of the cage, the bars falling away in all directions.**

'I was right,' Rollan said triumphantly.

'How can you joke about this Rollan?' Conor asked, voice rather tight.

Rollan stared at him in surprise, then laughed. 'Scared for your girlfriend Conor?'

That caused him, and Abeke, to blush.

'I... no. Not like that.'

'Sure,' Rollan said, letting the word last long.

 **Ignoring the men, some of whom made halfhearted jabs with their spears,**

Lishay rolled her eyes. 'Useless.'

 **the monstrous dog raced straight toward Abeke, spewing sand with each massive stride. Uraza broke into a run with Abeke sprinting beside her. All pretence at stealth abandoned, Abeke tore through the jungle, wishing she had brought more weapons than a knife. Then again, what good would any weapon do against the savage dog?**

'Quite a bit,' Lishay said dryly.

 **The animal stampeded behind them. Ferocious barks and growls impelled Abeke forward. There was no time to strategise - she ran with everything sh had, driven by pure terror. The same terrain that had permitted her to creep alongside Uraza now tripped her up. Branches lashed her body, roots grabbed her ankles, and the uneven ground was treacherous. She stumbled to her knees several times and fell flat once,**

Rollan chuckled, causing Meilin to roll her eyes at him, Abeke to groan and Conor to glance at him nearly angrily.

 **but always rose as quickly as she could, clawing at the vegetation, half running, half swimming through the leaves.**

'How can you swim without water?' Rollan exclaimed.

No one answered.

 **The gigantic dog was gaining rapidly. Any moment, those teeth would seize her. She had lost sight of Uraza. The dog was nearly upon her.**

Everyone was holding their breath now, despite knowing it would end well because Abee was amongst them.

 **Determined not to be an easy victim, Abeke drew her knife and whirled. Her senses abruptly sharpened. She saw the overgrown canine coming and shrank into a comfortable crouch.**

Lishay and Tarik shared a look, listening on in interest.

 **As it lunged, she sprang sideways, swinging her knife. The tip of the blade scratched the brute's flank as the beast blurred past her. Abeke put a tree between herself and the dog. It struck the tree with enough force to shake the jungle, but the trunk held. Abeke raced away, but the frothing dog pursued her relentlessly. She tripped, rolled onto her back, and held up her knife in desperation. The dog surged forward, mouth gaping, teeth huge in the darkness.**

Conor seemed about to faint now.

 **With a screaming roar unlike Abeke had ever heard, Uraza hurtled out of the night, her jaws closing on the side of the dog's neck. The impact broke the dog's rushing attack.**

Conor got a little more colour on his face.

 **Leopard and dog tumbled together in the darkness, narrowly missing Abeke, snarling and spitting, teeth flashing, claws slashing. Abeke's first instinct was to run. Her second thought was to help Uraza. But then she got the distinct impression that she could climb. The notion came so strongly that she leaped to the nearest tree, embracing the trunk with arms and knees.**

Rollan was clearly imagining that image now, for he suddenly let out a laugh. It cleared away some of the tension in the room.

 **There were no branches to grip, but she pulled with her arms and clamped with her knees, somehow heaving herself higher and higher. At last she found short limbs where she could rest. Behind her, she saw Uraza had taken to a tree as well, a red wound marring her magnificent pelt.**

Abeke stroked her hand over Uraza's back.

 **Below, the frustrated dog barked and bayed and finally howled. Abeke's tree shook as the dog rammed it with manic tenacity. She held tight. She had lost her knife. Her only hope was to outlast her attacker. Something caught the dog's attention and it ran over to another tree. Dimly, in the leaf-filtered moonlight, Abeke saw a figure high in the branches.**

Many people looked confused. Then Rollan gasped. He made eye-contact with Abeke. 'Shane?' He mouthed. She nodded.

 **It held a bow, and was launching arrow after arrow down at the dog. The huge dog leaped and barked and growled. It clawed futilely at the trunk. No matter how many arrows found their mark, it didn't seek cover. Finally, with a slow inevitability, the arrows did their job. The creature sank back, took two wobbly steps, then collapsed on the forest floor with a plaintive whine.**

Rollan started laughing, and it was his laughter that lifted the tension in the room. 'That is the most cliché way for someone to die,' Rollan exclaimed.

 **The figure climbed down from the tee. He paused beside the rapidly shrinking dog, then came to the base of Abeke's tree. 'Come down, Abeke,' a hushed voice called. She knew the voice. 'It's dead. Come down - we need to go.'**

'It's Shane,' Lishay stated. Abeke nodded.

 **Hugging the trunk,**

'My darling trunk,' Rollan exclaimed dramatically.

 **Abeke shinnied down the tree and dropped to the ground. 'Shane! How did you find me?' 'Did you think I'd let you roam the jungle alone at night?' he replied. 'You followed me?'**

'Shane's a stalker,' Rollan stated. 'And he can even stalk Abeke. We'd better be careful.' Some people stared at Rollan very skeptically.

'Seriously?' Lishay questioned. 'Yes,' Rollan said, all seriously. Then he burst out laughing. 'No just joking. Go on K.'

'How did you just call me?' Kalani inquired, voice rising. Rollan paled significantly. 'Uh... sorry. Kalani.' Kalani squinted, then went on.

 **'Not so loud,' Shane warned,**

'No Abeke. Not so loud,' Rollan reprimanded her. Abeke just rolled her eyes.

 **looking away through the trees. 'I'd rather the men on the beach not find us.' 'The men,' Abeke said, lowering her voice. 'They made the dog into a monster! They fed it something.' 'I know about them,' Shane said.**

'Of course you do,' Conor muttered angrily.

 **'I didn't know they were here tonight until it was too late. Otherwise I would have steered you away.' 'How far back were you?' 'Too far. I try not to make my presence known, although I'm sure I never fooled your leopard.'**

'Of course not,' Rollan commented.

 **'What were those men doing?' 'They're trying to find a replacement for the Nectar.**

'It's called the Bile,' Conor told... the book technically.

 **They try out their concoctions in secret.' 'The Nectar doesn't create monsters!' 'These men are testing different substances,' Shane said. 'I don't know their goals.**

Multiple people snorted in disbelief.

 **It would not end well if they caught us. We should go.' Uraza prowled into view, her side bleeding. Crouching beside her leopard, Abeke flung her arms around her neck. 'Thank you,' Abeke murmured. 'You saved my life.'**

* * *

 **Well, this was it. For the first time in months, I know, sorry about that. The next chapter will be up sooner, I truly promise that. Really.**


	19. Vision (1)

**So, hey everyone, here I am with a new chapter. Hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

 **In a lofty antechamber, daylight streamed through a stained-glass window, splashing colourful patterns across the floor. Briggan explored the area, sniffing the corners and the furniture. When the wolf passed through the tinted light, dappled hues glossed his grey-white coat. Conor had lost track of how long they had waited. It frustrated him that even though he was no longer a servant to Devin, he was still stuck inside a castle all the time.**

Lenori smiled warmly at Conor, a smile he returned.

 **He could tell that Briggan didn't love being cooped up either.**

This time Abeke smiled at him, breaking away from her reading momentarily.

 **The door opened and Rollan emerged with Essix on his shoulder. Conor and Briggan looked up expectantly. Apparently Lenori and Rollan were finally done.**

Rollan frowned deeply.

 **'Your turn,' Rollan said. 'How was it?' Conor asked. Rollan shrugged. 'She wanted to know about my dreams.**

'Poor you,' Lishay commented. 'You had to sit through Rollan's dreams about Meilin.' It was obviously directed at Lenori, and she smiled. 'I suppose.'

'I didn't dream about Meilin!' Rollan exclaimed, though there was a feint blush on his cheeks.

'Hm, sure,' Lishay said. She obviously didn't believe him, and taking the smirks on other people's faces, they didn't either.

 **If it was a test, I don't think I passed. Have fun.'**

Everyone chuckled at the dry tone Abeke's used.

 **Conor entered the room where Lenori waited in a large, padded chair that dwarfed her petite frame. Her green cloak rested on a nearby table. Feather were braided into her long hair and several beaded necklaces and bracelets hung from her neck and wrists. Her bare feet rested on a low ottoman, her soles callused and brown. Beside her chair, a peculiar burd roosted on a tall, protable perch. The burd had a slender neck, a down-curved bill, and vibrant plumage of every shade. Lenori indicated a nearby chair to Conor. She looked at him with eyes as unfathomable as the ocean.**

'Was that a compliment?' Rollan questioned.

'Uh... more of an observation,' Conor said.

'It could be a compliment,' Olvan decided. Everyone turned to look at him. 'What?'

'Is that how you're planning to woo her?' Rollan asked. 'I don't know if that'll work.'

Abeke chuckled, obviously waiting for a moment before continuing with her reading so a silence lasted. In the silence, many people looked at Olvan, either amused or expectantly. He blushed, quite deeply.

 **He wondered if she could read his mind.**

A round of laughter erupted. Even Olvan could manage a smile.

'No Conor,' Lenori told him. 'I can't read minds.'

Conor blushed a little, muttering. 'I know.'

 **'How are you Conor?' The question was posed mildly, and seemed sincere.**

'Yes of course, we're not Conquerors,' Olvan muttered.

 **'Me? Honestly? I keep wondering wether Briggan came to the right person.' Lenori smiled. 'No beast would bond with the wrong person, least of all a Geat Beast. Where does this worry come from?' Conor regreted having expressed the concern. Her posture was relaxed, but there was no escaping those watchful eyes.**

Another round of laughter.

'Geez Conor, what is it with the eyes?' Rollan questioned. The other boy shrugged, seeming a little shy again.

'If you'll go on like this, you'll know her eyes better than Olvan does,' Lishay said, winking.

Abeke, as many other people, couldn't help laughing at Olvan's surprised expression. 'What?' The man exclaimed. He glanced sideways at Lenori, to see her blushing. But before anyone could say anything in return, Abeke read on. Lishay only winked at Olvan too.

 **'All of this is just so far beyond anything I ever expected.' 'I think I understand.' Her voice was gentle and melodious. 'Don't pressure yourself to evolve overnight. You'll grow into this role. Tell me about your dreams since Briggan arrived.'**

'And there it went wrong,' Rollan grimaced.

'Because of your dreams about Meilin?' Conor suggested.

Rollan grumbled something unintelligible.

 **Conor considered the question. 'Once, in real life, I had to fight off a pack of wolves from the sheep I protected. I've had to relice that night in my dreams a lot lately.' He glanced over at Briggan, who had his mouth open with his tongue hanging out.**

Rollan couldn't help but grin.

 **It was the closest a wolf could get to smiling. 'Have any other animals visited your dreams?' Lenori asked. 'I don't know,' Conor said. 'I saw a ram not long ago. The kind with big curly horns.'**

'Do rams who don't have big curly horns exist?' Rollan inquired.

Conor looked over at him, waiting a moment before replying. 'No,' he finally decided.

 **Lenori leaned forward. 'Where was it? What was it doing?' The circumstances returned to him vividly. It had been the rare sort of dream that felt exactly like real life, even in memory. He had been climbing a high, rugged mountain, the rough stone as cold as ice beneath his palms. Scaling a sheer face, he had reached a point where he could progress no farther, nor could he descend the way he had come. As the wind kicked up, he had clung to the mountainside miserably, knowing he could contiinue or retreat, and either way he would fall.**

Rollan grimaced. He was no fan of climbing.

 **His muscles burning, the air too thin to satisfy his oungs, he had held on as tight as he could, knowing that eventually his strength would fall and he would plummet to the base of the cliff. Why had he climbed so high?**

'Very good question,' Rollan muttered.

 **Since holding still meant certain death, he'd decided that he had to keep going, no matter how scant the handholds. Stretching he hooked his fingertips over a tiny wrinkle in the rock overhead. As he searched for his next handhold, the sun crested the mountaintop, blinding him. Squinting, grimacing, his arms burning, toes slipping, he fumbled for anything to grab with his right hand. Then a shadow had fallen across him, and he oeered up at the huge sillhouette of a ram, staring down at him from higher still up the cliff. The sight of the beast had made him forget his peril. He had stared for a long moment before his hands had failed him. He gave an agonised scream and then he fell, his stomach lurching to his throat as he hurtled toward the ground. Just as he was about to hit, he woke up, slick with sweat.**

'I'm glad I'm seer,' Rollan stated. His comment broke through the silence, and everyone looked at him. 'Go on,' Rollan urged Abeke. She raised an eyebrow, then did it.

 **'I was in the mountains,' Conor said. 'I saw it right before I woke up. The sun was in my eyes. The ram was big, but it was hard to see detail.'**

'You just described an agonising dream in four sentences,' Rollan exclaimed.

Conor shrugged. 'So?'

Rollan stared at him, mouth half open. Everyone chuckled at his expression.

 **'Have you ever worked with bighorn sheep?' Lenori asked. 'No. But I've seen pictures of Arax.**

Abeke became silent. 'How did you know she meant Arax?' She asked.

Conor shrugged. 'No idea actually.' He gave her a smile.

Conor and Meilin glanced at each other, and both promptly rolled their eyes.

 **My parents have one. The ram in my dreams was like him.' 'Was it like him, or was it him?' Conor was very conscious of her heightened interest. Didn't she ever blink?**

Conor groaned as the others burst into laughter.

When it had died down Lenori told Conor with a smile. 'I do blink.'

'I know,' Conor groaned. 'Sorry.'

 **He knew the answer, but felt awkward.**

'The answer to if she blinks?' Rollan asked, eyes twinkling.

Conor rolled his eyed and gestured to Abeke to continue reading.

 **He worried if he would come across like he was trying to sound important.**

Meilin shook her head easily. 'No. That's Rollan.'

 **He glanced away, then back. 'It was just a dream. But, yeah, I think it was Arax.' 'Have you dreamed about any of the other Great Beasts? Rumfuss? Tellun? Do you know them all?'**

'One question at a time,' Rollan stated.

Lenori had the sense not to react to him and Abeke read on.

 **Conor chuckled uncomfortably. 'I know there are fifteen, the Four Fallen plus the other eleven. I'm no expert. I can name some of them - Cabaro the Lion**

Rollan frowned deeply.

 **Mulop the Octopus. Arax, of course. Shepherds pay extra attention to him.**

'Why?' Rollan asked.

'Because he's a ram,' Conor shrugged. 'Sometimes you don't do something with a particular reason but just because it's... fun.'

 **With enough time I could maybe remember them all.' 'The Great Beasts have protected Erdas since time out of mind. We would all do better to be more familiar with them. Besides the four onvious ones and those you named, we have Tellun the Elk, Ninani the Swan, Halawir the Eagle, Dinesh the Elephant, Rumfuss the Boar, Suka the Polar Bear, Kovo the Ape and Gerathon the Serpent.'**

At the last two the athmosphere in the room darkened. Meilin frowned deeply, burying her fingers into Jhi's warm, soft fur. Rollan sent her a smile, which she returned slightly.

 **Conor noticed Briggan's ears prick up. 'I haven't dreamed about the others. Just the ram. Do you mind me asking why yo're so interested?' 'I doubt it was an ordinary dream.' Briggan stood up, watching her intently. 'The wolf seems to sgree. Briggan barked,**

The wolf did exactly that, causing everyone to jump. They all looked at each other, then chuckled.

 **making Conor jump. 'Dreams can range from the meaningless to the prophetic,' Lenori said. 'It usually takes experience to discern one from the ther. The dreams Rollan and Meilin shared with me were of little consequence.**

'Told you I failed the test,' Rollan said.

 **I hoped for more from Meilin but she needs to grow closer to Jhi first.**

'Does that have anything to do with the Bile?' Meilin asked.

Lenori frowned. 'It could be. But I think even with the Bile you could force your spirit animal to make you have dreams, like visions.'

Meilin nodded, forwning a little. Obviously, the entire thing still bothered her.

 **I suspected your dreams might be weightier, and you haven't disappointed me.'**

'No pressure,' Rollan muttered, half jokingly.

 **Conor shifted in his chair. 'Why'd you suspect me?' 'Briggan was among the more visionary of the Great Beasts. He is known by the titles Packleader, Moonrunner, and significantly, Pathfinder.' Conor reached out and rubbed the coarse mane on the back of Briggan's neck.**

Conor imitated the action, a smile forming on his face.

 **'Are you really all of those things?' Briggan turned his head, his tongue lolling out in another wolfish grin.**

Rollan squinted his eyes. 'That explains a lot.'

Everyone turned to look at him. 'What?' Maya asked him.

'Conor takes over Briggan's wolfish grins,' Rollan told him. 'But on humans it looks a little... strange.'

Conor raised on eyebrow at him, which made Rollan scowl. 'Stop with that one eyebrow.'

Conor chuckled then gestured to Abeke to continue reading.

 **'I too have seen Arax the Ram lately,' Lenori said. 'That is why we gathered at the Sunset Tower in Amaya, the nearest Greencloak tower to his current domain.' 'You know where to find him?' Conor asked. 'I don't know his exact location,' Lenori said. 'But I hope we may be able to find him together. Aside from the recent return of Briggan and the Fallen, none have encountered the Great Beasts for many years. Arax is among the most solitary. He prefers the mountaintops, exercising his influence over the winds and terrain in the highest places of the world. We can't trust luck or woodcraft to find him. The wilds of western Amaya are untamed. Unguided, we could search for years and never get close.'**

'Where are you from?' Meilin asked, a question directed at Lenori. She looked up. 'Me?'

Meilin nodded.

'East-Amaya. Near the coast.' Meilin nodded slowly.

 **Lenori paused for a moment, then spoke in a softer voice. 'Would you mind trying for a waking vision?' 'Me?' Conor asked.**

'No Briggan,' Rollan said, rolling his eyes. Everyone laughed a little, everyone now having grown so used to Rollan's antics that it was more funny.

 **He was no prophet.**

'No,' Rollan said, chuckling. 'You're not blind.'

Everyone looked at him strangely.

'What?' Rollan asked. 'I once read this story and the prophet was blind. They always are, I believe.'

'Not always,' Olvan said.

'Who isn't?' Rollan asked.

'I believe Lenori's eyesight is quite well,' Olvan told him.

Lenori smiled a little. 'It's fine.'

Rollan rolled his eyes. 'Okay. That Yumaris from the Conquerors was blind though.'

Abeke nodded. 'She's creepy.'

Rollan looked at her. 'Really?'

Abeke sighed. 'Her eyes look extremely blind, like super white, and she crawles around the floor like a worm. Just saying,' she told Rollan with a smile, before focusing on her reading again.

 **'What do you mean?' 'Briggan may be able to use your connection to share information glimpsed from afar.' Conor rubbed his hands over his eyes.**

Rollan raised his eyebrows.

 **'I wouldn't know how to begin.' Lenori crossed over to Conor and knelt befor him. She took both of his hands in hers. He tried not to go completely rigid.**

Everyone laughed at that.

When it had all calmed down, Meilin asked. 'Why exactly?'

Conor blushed, quite deeply. 'It was... a bit uncomfortable,' he murmured.

'Olvan'll love to take your place then,' Meilin said, sharing an amused look with Abeke. Abeke quickly started reading, ignoring the blushing on many people's face.

 **'Unbeknownst to some Greencloaks,' Lenori explained. 'spirit animal do not exist to let us swing a sword harder.**

Some people chuckled.

 **There can be aspects to the connection more valuable than running fast or jumping high. If you relax, I believe I can show you.' 'I'll try if you want,' Conor said. He certainly couldn't relax with her holding his hands.**

'This is why Conor is very much like Olvan at times,' Rollan said. 'He should become leader. He'd probably be the best of us all. Only, don't get a coffee addiction,' he added.

Some people looked at Rollan with a not understanding frown.

'I'll stay away from coffee,' Conor promised. 'Though I don't get your reasoning.'

'That doesn't matter,' Rollan said. 'Just stay away from coffee.'

 **Perhaps sensing this, Lenori backed away.** **'Don't try to force it,' she instructed. 'Relax and gaze upon Myriam, my rainbow ibis. Watch her as you would a campfire on a lonely night.' The bird on the perch spread her multicoloured wings. She bobbed gently, causing cascades of colour to ripple through her vivid feathers. Trying to follow Lenori's instructions, Conor thought about how he watched campfires. He tried no to stare hard at a fixed point. Without searching for anything specific, he let the rainbow ibis serve as his center of attention.**

'Abeke, you're going to need to donn yourself some bright colours,' Rollan said. 'Then you'll be Conor's center of attention.'

Abeke slowly raised an eyebrow at Rollan, but he saw the slight blush on her cheeks. 'Sure,' Aneke stated sarcastically.

 **Lenori was speaking but Conor got lost in the cadence of her words. Her** **voice was rhythmic, a melodic pulse that steadied and calmed him. Dimly, he noticed Briggan turning in a circle, first one way, then the other. He began to feel very drowsy. He blinked his eyes, but it didn't seem to help. In fact, with every blink, the room became more of a blur. Conor stared down a misty tunnel. Where had that come from?**

Some people chuckled.

 **He soared down the hazy passage without any sensation of movement. At its end, he saw a grizzly bear and a raccoon hurrying across a wide brown prairie.**

Lenori was leaning forward a little, paying much attention to Abeke's reading. Of course for her, it was quite interesting to hear what Conor's vision had been like.

 **With an effort of will, he sped up until he glided alongside them. There was no wind in his face, no physical evidence of his speed. But the shaggy grizzly bear ran hard, as did the raccoon.**

'How does a raccoon keep up with a bear exactyl?' Rollan wondered out loud.

'Spirit animal,' Meilin suggested. Rollan frowned, not looking convinced.

 **Both kept their eyes fixed on the horizon. Looking ahead, Conor saw a spectacular mountain range. Atop a distant ridge, the great ram was outlined in sunlight. As soon as his eyes locked on the ram, Conor found himself pulled from behind. Against his will, he withdrew back into the misty tunnel until the naimals became specks in the distance. The tunnel collapsed and dissolved. Conor realised that Lenori, Briggan and the rainbow ibis were all staring at him. He felt clammy. His mouth tasted weird and oddly fuzzy, like after a long sleep.**

'I kind of wish I could have seen that,' Rollan spoke up.

 **'What did you see?' Lenori inquired serenely. 'Huh?'**

Everyone laughed. Conor looked a little embarrassed but thanks to Abeke quickly continuing he wasn't the centre of attention very long.

 **He felt unsteady. 'I... I saw a raccoon and a big, shaggy bear. They were running toward some mountains. I could see Arax beyond them, up high in the rocks. They were heading straight at him.' 'A bear and a raccoon,' Lenori repeated. 'Anything else?' 'I didn,t notice much else. I was mostly focused on the bear and the raccoon. I had to go through a long tunnel.' Lenori gave him a triumphant smile. She took his hand, squeezing it gently. 'You did it Conor. I think you found our path.'**

Olvan's quick, admiring glance towards Lenori did not go unnoticed by most people, but no one commented.

* * *

 **So? Good? Bad? I think it was pretty good, I liked it more than my previous one at oeast. Let me know though. The next chapter will hopefully be up soon.**


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